Cancer daycare centres to be set up in District Hospitals

Context

The Union Health Ministry plans to set up cancer daycare centres in all district hospitals. 

Key Highlights

• • Each cancer daycare centre will provide chemotherapy, counseling services, and medicines, with 4 to 6 beds. 
  • Every facility will have an oncologist or trained medical officer, two nurses, a pharmacist, a counsellor, and a multi-purpose worker.
  • Establishing such facilities in district hospitals will make chemotherapy more handy and efficient.

• Concerns Over Staffing

• • While the Government suggested the usage of the existing district hospital workforce, the Parliamentary panel advocated separate recruitment due to a scarcity of healthcare professionals.

Objective and Implementation

• • The initiative aims to ensure continuity of cancer treatment, mainly in the 764 district hospitals that presently lack such centers.
  • Patients will receive preliminary treatment plans at tertiary care centres and retain remedy at those daycare centres.
  • As per the Union Budget assertion, 200 centres are planned for the current financial year, with the entire rollout anticipated over 3 years.

• Expert Recommendations

• • Pain Control: Many cancer patients require pain remedy, which may be furnished at a low fee.
  • Training for Medical Staff: Since not all district hospitals have oncologists, medical doctors and workforce need to gain knowledge in managing chemotherapy aspect results and headaches.
  • Regional Feasibility: States like the ones in the Northeast and Kerala, where district hospitals already offer most cancer care, may also discover it less complicated to enforce the initiative.

Cancer Burden in India

• In India, most cancer cases are projected to rise considerably, with over 14 lakh new cases recorded in 2023.
• Approximately 100 out of every 1 lakh people in India are diagnosed with most cancers annually.
• The National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) under ICMR has been monitoring cancer traits since 1982 to enable evidence-based policymaking.

Key Government Initiatives for Cancer Control

• National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer (NPCDCS): Aims to prevent and control most cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and strokes under the National Health Mission (NHM).

• Strengthening of Tertiary Care for Cancer Scheme: Aims to decentralize most cancers treatment and amplify access to specialised care.
• Key Infrastructure Developments: 19 State Cancer Institutes (SCIs); 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs); National Cancer Institute (NCI), Jhajjar, Haryana; Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) – Second Campus in Kolkata.
• Ayushman Bharat Yojana (PMJAY): Launched in 2018 to provide widely wide-spread health coverage.
• Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF): Provides monetary aid up to ₹5 lakh for most cancers remedy to sufferers under the poverty line.
• National Cancer Grid (NCG): Established in 2012 to standardize and improve cancer care throughout India.

Advancing Cancer Research and Treatment

• India’s First Indigenous CAR-T Cell Therapy – NexCAR19

• • • Developed in April 2024 via IIT Bombay, Tata Memorial Centre, and ImmunoACT.
    • A leap forward treatment for blood cancers, decreasing dependency on high priced imported remedies.

• Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative

• • Launched in September 2024 in partnership with the USA, Australia, and Japan.
  • Focuses on putting off cervical cancer within the Indo-Pacific location through screening, vaccination, and superior research.

Source: The Indian Express

UPSC Mains Practice Questions

Q. Stemcelltherapy is gaining popularity in India to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including Leukaemia, Thalassemia, damaged cornea and several burns. Describe briefly what stem cell therapy is and what advantages it has over other treatments? (2017)

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