Everyone to be screened for cancer, diabetes in 5 yrs: Azad

India will be the first country in the world to screen the entire population in next five years

PTI | December 13, 2011



The government plans to screen the nation's entire population in next five years for cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and strokes for early detection and treatment of the ailments, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said today.

He said during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha that a pilot project has been launched in 100 districts of 21 states for prevention and early detection of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and strokes.

"India will be the first country in the world to screen the entire population in next five years," he said.

Under the pilot project, the government has provided equipment and human resource for detection and treatment.

"As per the latest estimates of Indian Council of Medical Research, the prevalence of cancer in the country is about 27 lakh," he said.

The incidence of new cancer cases every year in the country is about 11 lakh and about five lakh people die every year from the ailment, he said.

The government, he said, provides free cancer treatment for people living Below Poverty Line (BPL). Under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi, up to Rs 1.5 lakh per case is provided as assistance to all BPL patients.

Further, the Health Ministry gives financial assistance in cases where assistance sought is more than Rs 1.5 lakh in each case. "However, this assistance is available only for BPL patients taking treatment in Government hospitals," he said.

In addition, financial assistance is given to poor patients up to Rs 50,000 in each case, Azad said adding that during the current year, 2,202 cancer patients have been given financial help.

Comments

 

Other News

India faces critical shortage of skin donors amid rising burn cases

India reports nearly 70 lakh burn injury cases every year, resulting in approximately 1.4 lakh deaths annually. Experts estimate that up to 50% of these lives could be saved with adequate access to skin donations.   A significant concern is that around 70% of burn victims fall wi

Not just politics, let`s discuss policies too

Why public policy matters Most days, India`s loudest debates stop at the ballot box. We can name every major leader and recall every campaign slogan. Still, far fewer of us can explain why a widow`s pension is delayed or how a government school`s budget is actually approved. That

When algorithms decide and children die

The images have not left me, of dead and wounded children being carried in the arms of the medics and relatives to the ambulances and hospitals. On February 28, at the start of Operation Epic Fury, cruise missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh school – officially named a girls’ school, in Minab,

The economics of representation: Why women in power matter

India’s democracy has grown in scale, but not quite in balance. Women today are active participants in elections, influencing outcomes in ways that were not as visible earlier. Yet their presence in legislative institutions continues to lag behind. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was meant to addres

India will be powerful, not aggressive: Bhaiyyaji

India is poised to emerge as a global power but will remain rooted in its civilisational ethos of non-aggression and harmony, former RSS General Secretary Suresh `Bhaiyyaji` Joshi has said.   He was speaking at the launch of “Rashtrabhav,” a book by Ravindra Sathe

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter