Lok Sabha Question No. 857 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Study on Occurrence of Cancer
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Biplab Kumar Deb

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 857 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02. 2025

## STUDYON OCCURRENCE OF CANCER

## 857. SHRI BIPLAB KUMAR DEB:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government plans to make cancer treatment affordable to common man and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted a study on various types, age groups and occurrence of cancer in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether all district hospitals across the country are being equipped with treatment of life threatening diseases and if so, the details thereof particularly in the State of Tripura?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a): The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, provides technical and financial support to the States and Union Territories under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) as part of National Health Mission (NHM). The programme focuses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, early diagnosis, referral to an appropriate level of healthcare facility for treatment and management and health promotion and awareness generation for prevention, of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including cancers(oral, breast and cervical).

The treatment in Government Hospitals is either free or highly subsidized for the poor and needy. There are various schemes of Government of India to facilitate accessible and affordable healthcare and treatment, which are as follows:

- i. The Central Government has implemented the Strengthening of Tertiary Cancer Care Centres Facilities Scheme in order to enhance the facilities for cancer care at tertiary level. Under the scheme, there is provision of providing one time grant up to Rs. 120 crore for SCI and up to Rs. 45 crore for TCCC including State share. The funds sharing ratio between Centre and State is 60:40 while for NE and Hilly States the ratio is 90:10. Under this scheme, 19 State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and 20 Tertiary Cancer Care Centers (TCCCs) have been approved.
- ii. Cancer patients are getting treatment at various health facilities in the health care delivery system including Medical Colleges, different AIIMS institutions, etc. All new AIIMS and many upgraded existing Government Medical Colleges/Institutions under Scheme ' Pradhan
3. Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) ' have special focus areas of Oncology. National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar (Haryana) and second campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata setup are also steps in this direction.
- iii. Treatment of cancer is available under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY),a flagship scheme of the Government which provides health cover of Rs.5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to approximately 55 Cr beneficiaries corresponding to 12.37 Crore families constituting economically vulnerable bottom 40% of India ' s population. In AB PM-JAY Cancer related treatment is provided under more than 200 packages having more than 500 procedures of Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Palliative medicine in the national Health Benefit Package (HBP) master.
- iv. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Scheme was launched to set up dedicated outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices. Under PMBJP, 2047 types of medicines and 300 surgical devices have been brought under the basket of the scheme, of which 83 products are for cancer treatment.
- v. Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT), initiative launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare provides affordable medicines for treatment of cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases. As on 15.01.2025, there are 220 AMRIT Pharmacies spread across 29 States/Union Territories, selling more than 6500 drugs including Cancer at significant discounts.
- vi. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has fixed the ceiling prices of 131 anti-cancer scheduled formulations out of which ceiling prices of 120 formulations are fixed under NLEM 2022. NPPA has also fixed retail price of 28 anti cancer formulations as on 31.01.2025 which are applicable to the applicant manufacturing and marketing company. NPPA put a cap of 30% Trade Margin on 42 selected non-scheduled anticancer medicines under ' Trade Margin Rationalization ' approach. Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance has reduced the customs duty to Nil and GST rates from 12% to 5% for the three anticancer drugs, namely, Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib and Durvalumab.

(b): The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMRNCRP) Data, under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, provides the data on cancer incidence, mortality, pattern, trend and geo-pathological distribution of cancers. As per the ICMR-NCRP data, the estimated number of incidence of cancer cases of various types for all age groups for the year 2023 in the country is 14,96,972.Further details on cancer statistics are accessible on the website:

https://ncdirindia.org/Publications.aspx.

(c): Under NP-NCD, NCD Clinics have been set up at 770 District hospitals and 6410 Community Health Centers. Additionally, 372 District Day Care Centres for Chemotherapy have been set up in district hospitals. In Tripura 7 District NCD Clinics and 38CHC NCD Clinics have been set up. As informed by State Government of Tripura, measures taken to equip the district hospitals with the treatment of life threatening diseases are as follows:

1. All District Hospitals are providing all surgical intervention supported by PMJAY scheme.
2. Pediatric Care unit with Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Pediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU) have been developed in all District Hospitals.
3. All District Hospitals have been equipped with Oxygen Plants under PMCARES.
4. Adult ICU 10 bedded is functional in all District Hospitals .Cardiac Care Unit has been established in one District Hospital.
5. Cancer Screening and Palliative Care services are provided through the NCD Clinic at the District Hospitals.