Rs 2,400 cr mega budget for battle with cancer

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad made the announcement on Sunday at the inauguration of the Mobile Outreach Project at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital TMCH). The focus would be on community-based cancer control strategies,he said.

Apart from the budget for the National Cancer Control Programme,Azad also announced a unique scheme for patients living below the poverty line (BPL) under the Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund.

“The fund has been established by the government with seed money of Rs 100 crore and state governments are expected to contribute,” Azad said. “Up to Rs 1 lakh of a BPL patient’s treatment costs can be supported at any of our 27 regional cancer centres and 40 oncology wings in institutes under the National Cancer Control Programme,or at any public sector health facility.”

A policy is already in place under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi for BPL patients suffering from chronic diseases,but most states are unaware of it. It entails Central and state aid up to Rs 20 lakh for very serious cancer,kidney or liver patients. “Surprisingly 90 per cent of the funds are utilised by West Bengal but no other state has sought any so far,” Azad said.

He urged doctors at Tata Memorial Hospital to make use of the available funds by recommending patients badly in need of money for treatment.

Azad also welcomed suggestions by doctors on revising the MBBS syllabus so that a higher proportion of students takes up oncology. “I will discuss this with the Medical Council of India,” he said.

The ministry is in the process of establishing OncoNET (India),a network of 27 regional cancer centres and 100 peripheral ones,to facilitate telemedicine services and continued medical education.

TMCH dean Dr K Mohandas said breast cancer is on the rise in Mumbai and other major cities. Mumbai has 25 to 30 new cases per lakh per year,apart from a huge backlog.

Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar,also chairman of the TMCH council,urged Azad to prepare a policy to protect indigenous equipment prepared by India to battle cancer. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre director Srikumar Banerjee said the indigenously developed Bhabhatron for cancer treatment will be made available in large numbers soon.

The Mobile Outreach Programme,jointly taken up by Women’s Cancer Initiative and the hospital,will cover about 5 lakh in Chembur,Mankhurd and Govandi slums in Mumbai,said Dr Rajendra Badwe,TMCH director. The mobile van was flagged off by Shameem Azad,wife of the Minister.