Health Ministry to set up 200 daycare cancer centres in district hospitals this year; starts survey to assess needs

Data from the Health Ministry shows that India is experiencing a rapid rise in cancer cases, largely due to lifestyle changes, tobacco use, poor dietary habits, and inadequate physical activity. File Photo: Twitter/@MoHFW_INDIA

The Health Ministry has begun a nationwide survey to assess the gaps in district hospitals which will now facilitate the upcoming daycare cancer centres for patients. The Ministry aims to set up 200 such centres this year. 

In her recent Budget speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that the Centre would help to set up such facilities in all district hospitals over a three-year period. 

“The Ministry is working towards establishing daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals over the next three years and 200 centres will be set up in 2025-26. This will bring essential cancer services closer to home, particularly for those in underserved rural areas. It will also focus on providing chemotherapy services and conducting cancer prevention and awareness programs,’’ said a senior Health Ministry official.

Reduces tertiary care burden

He added that the aim is to increase access to quality cancer care for more people and reduce the burden on tertiary care centres, allowing them to focus on more complex cases by offering routine services at the district level. 

“The total estimated expenditure in the next three years for the project is ₹3,200 crore,’’ he added.

Data from the Health Ministry shows that India is experiencing a rapid rise in cancer cases, largely due to lifestyle changes, tobacco use, poor dietary habits, and inadequate physical activity. According to estimates, approximately 8,00,000 new cancer cases are expected each year, with tobacco-related cancers accounting for as much as 35% to 50% of all cancers in men, and 17% in women. 

Treatment facilities

“However, various types of cancer are preventable, and through widespread awareness and timely interventions, India is reducing its cancer burden and currently is offering prevention and screening at the primary health care level. At the secondary and tertiary level, diagnostics and treatment is also offered to individuals at Ayushman Arogya Mandir,’’ the official said. 

The Ministry added that around ₹3,000 crores has been approved to set up 19 State cancer institutes and 20 tertiary cancer care centres over the last decade. Additionally, cancer treatment facilities have been approved in all 22 new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Under the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY health insurance scheme, 3.41 crore treatments with an overall cost of ₹44,000 crore have been authorised for cancer-related packages. At 217 AMRIT pharmacies, 289 oncology drugs are being given at a significant discount of up to 50% of market rates.