Lok Sabha Question No. 2649 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-04
Subject: Palliative Care to Cancer Patients
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Su Thirunavukkarasar

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2649 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 th AUGUST, 2023

## PALLIATIVE CARE TO CANCER PATIENTS

## 2649. SHRI THIRUNAVUKKARASAR SU:

Will the MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that about 1.4 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of people suffering from such disease, State/UTwise;
- (c) whether the Government has issued new set of operational guidelines that limit the focus of palliative care to people with cancer in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the extent to which such care centre would help to improve the quality of life by addressing the physical, psychological, spiritual and social domains of the health of people suffering from various ailments in the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (PROF. SATYA PAL SINGH BAGHEL)

(a) and (b): As per the ICMR - NCRP, the estimated number of incidence of cancer cases in the country for the year 2022 is 14.61 Lakhs and the details by state/UT wise is enclosed in Annexure 1.

(c) and (d): The National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC) was launched to support palliative care services under National Health Mission. The NPPC is not focused only on providing palliative care to people with cancer. The palliative care is based on providing pain and symptom relief to people suffering from chronic ailments and neurological diseases, dementia and drug resistant tuberculosis. Palliative Care is provided to improve the quality of life, well - being, comfort and human dignity for individuals. The coverage of districts/centres has been increased from 265 districts in 2019 to 484 districts/centres in 27 states/UTs in 2021-22, and presently 708 districts have been approved under the program for OPD services, inpatient services, drugs and consumables provision, capacity building,

IEC and home-based care in 36 States/UTs. Palliative care services are also part of the extended package of Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) under Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs).

Training manuals for doctors and nurses to sensitize MOs and Nurses from DH/CHC/PHC towards delivering Palliative Care have been developed. Training of trainers and subsequent district and below level trainings are conducted in states. Training modules for CHO, MPW, ASHA, ANM have been developed for capacity building to deliver palliative care services under the Ayushman Bharat HWC at the primary level.

Certain amendments were effected in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 in 2014 to facilitate palliative care, which allows:

1. Asingle regulation for morphine & other Essential Narcotic Drugs (ENDs);
2. Asingle license to hold and use ENDs;
3. Asingle agency -the State Drugs Controller -to issue licenses and monitor it.

| Estimated incidence of cancer cases in India by States/UTs wise - All sites (2022) - both sexes   | Estimated incidence of cancer cases in India by States/UTs wise - All sites (2022) - both sexes   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State                                                                                             | 2022                                                                                              |
| Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                    | 13395                                                                                             |
| Ladakh                                                                                            | 302                                                                                               |
| Himachal Pradesh                                                                                  | 9164                                                                                              |
| Punjab                                                                                            | 40435                                                                                             |
| Chandigarh                                                                                        | 1088                                                                                              |
| Uttaranchal                                                                                       | 12065                                                                                             |
| Haryana                                                                                           | 30851                                                                                             |
| Delhi                                                                                             | 26735                                                                                             |
| Rajasthan                                                                                         | 74725                                                                                             |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                                                     | 210958                                                                                            |
| Bihar                                                                                             | 109274                                                                                            |
| Sikkim                                                                                            | 496                                                                                               |
| Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                 | 1087                                                                                              |
| Nagaland                                                                                          | 1854                                                                                              |
| Manipur                                                                                           | 2097                                                                                              |
| Mizoram                                                                                           | 1985                                                                                              |
| Tripura                                                                                           | 2715                                                                                              |
| Meghalaya                                                                                         | 3025                                                                                              |
| Assam                                                                                             | 39787                                                                                             |
| West Bengal                                                                                       | 113581                                                                                            |
| Jharkhand                                                                                         | 35860                                                                                             |
| Orissa                                                                                            | 52960                                                                                             |
| Chhattisgarh                                                                                      | 29253                                                                                             |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                                                    | 81901                                                                                             |
| Gujarat                                                                                           | 73382                                                                                             |
| Daman                                                                                             | 150                                                                                               |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                                                               | 238                                                                                               |
| Maharashtra                                                                                       | 121717                                                                                            |
| Telangana                                                                                         | 49983                                                                                             |
| Andhra Pradesh                                                                                    | 73536                                                                                             |
| Karnataka                                                                                         | 90349                                                                                             |
| Goa                                                                                               | 1700                                                                                              |
| Lakshadweep                                                                                       | 28                                                                                                |
| Kerala                                                                                            | 59143                                                                                             |
| Tamil Nadu                                                                                        | 93536                                                                                             |
| Pondicherry                                                                                       | 1679                                                                                              |
| Andaman &Nicobar Islands                                                                          | 393                                                                                               |
| Total                                                                                             | 14,61,427                                                                                         |