**Executive Summary**
This document is the response from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to an unstarred question raised in the Lok Sabha regarding affordable cancer treatment for patients across India, particularly in rural areas. The response details government initiatives and programs aimed at improving cancer diagnosis, treatment, palliative care, and research. It also highlights the role of the National Cancer Grid (NCG) in standardizing cancer care and improving affordability. The question was to be answered on December 12th, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD):**
* The Ministry provides technical and financial support to States and Union Territories under the NP-NCD, part of the National Health Mission (NHM).
* The program focuses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, screening, early diagnosis, referral, treatment, and health promotion for NCDs, including cancer.
* **Population-Based Screening Initiative:**
* Screening for NCDs, including cancer, is being rolled out at Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) under NHM as part of Comprehensive Primary Health Care.
* The initiative targets individuals over 30 years of age for screening.
* **Tertiary Cancer Care Centres Facilities Scheme:**
* Financial assistance is provided to establish State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and Tertiary Cancer Care Centres (TCCCs).
* As of now, 19 SCIs and 20 TCCCs have been approved across the country.
* These centers serve as hubs for advanced cancer care, diagnosis, research, and capacity building.
* **Tata Memorial Hospital Expansion:**
* The Tata Memorial Hospital has established 6 hospitals providing cancer care in semi-urban and rural areas in multiple states.
* **National Programme for Palliative Care (NPPC):**
* Outpatient and inpatient palliative care services are being delivered in 600 districts across all States/Union Territories.
* Home-based palliative care services are provided by trained Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and community volunteers.
* **National Cancer Grid (NCG):**
* Functions as a nationwide network aimed at ensuring uniform, high-quality cancer care.
* Develops national treatment guidelines, conducts health technology assessments, and supports digital oncology initiatives.
* Improves drug affordability through group negotiations and promotes training and research.
* Currently has 394 member organizations, with 80 cancer centers added in the last two years, treating over 860,000 new cancer cases annually.
* **NCG Linkage with ABPM-JAY:**
* Ensures beneficiaries receive treatment per recommended standards.
* The Oncology Electronic Medical Record (EMR) facilitates patient ownership of health records and seamless transition of care.
* Pooled procurement has improved access to affordable anticancer medicines.
* Virtual tumor boards have facilitated treatment of over 7000 complex cases.
* Training of manpower has improved care at grassroots level.
**Impact Analysis**
**Key Stakeholders: Cancer Patients (Especially in Semi-Urban and Rural Areas)**
* **Impact:** Improved access to quality cancer diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care at affordable costs due to various government initiatives.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available screening programs, cancer care centers, and palliative care services.
**Key Stakeholders: States and Union Territories**
* **Impact:** Technical and financial support for strengthening cancer care infrastructure and services.
* **Action Required:** Implement the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) and leverage available resources to improve cancer care.
**Key Stakeholders: Medical Professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Allied Professionals)**
* **Impact:** Access to training programs, standardized treatment guidelines, and improved resources for cancer care.
* **Action Required:** Participate in training programs and implement NCG guidelines to improve the quality of cancer care at all levels.
**Key Stakeholders: Research Institutions, Medical Colleges, and Partner Hospitals in NCG**
* **Impact:** Opportunities for collaboration, research, and improved standards of cancer care delivery.
* **Action Required:** Engage in research, training, and quality improvement programs facilitated by the NCG to enhance cancer care outcomes.
Key Entities Referenced
National Cancer Grid (NCG): A countrywide network of cancer centers, medical colleges, research institutes and partner hospitals, aimed at ensuring uniform, high-quality and evidence-based cancer care across all States.
National Health Mission (NHM): A programme under which the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to States and Union Territories and rolls out population-based initiatives for prevention, control and screening for common Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including Cancer.
National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD): A programme under the National Health Mission (NHM) which focuses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, screening, early diagnosis, referral, treatment, and health promotion for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including cancer.
Tertiary Cancer Care Centres Facilities Scheme: A scheme where the Government of India is implementing the Strengthening of Tertiary Cancer Care Centres Facilities scheme. Under this initiative, financial assistance is provided as a one-time grant of up to ₹120 crore for State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and up to ₹45 crore for Tertiary Cancer Care Centres (TCCCs)
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The primary governmental body responsible for implementing the schemes and programmes discussed in the document.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2184
TOBE ANSWERED ON12TH DECEMBER, 2025
CANCER PATIENTS TREATMENTATAFFORDABLE COSTS
2184.SHRIRAJABHAUPARAG PRAKASH WAJE:
Willthe Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleased tostate:
(a) whether the Government has undertaken specific measures to ensure that patients across the country,
particularly in semi-urban and rural areas, receive high-quality cancer diagnosis, treatment and palliative
care at affordablecosts and if so, the detailsthereofalongwith anyrecentpolicy interventions;
(b) whether any significant research outcomes, innovations or new clinical protocols have been
developedduring the last four yearsin the field of cancerprevention, earlydetection and treatmentand if
so, the detailsthereof;
(c) the manner in which such developments have been implemented in Government hospitals and public
healthfacilitiesacross the country;
(d) the role and functioningof the National Cancer Grid (NCG) in strengthening cancercare delivery and
research along with the details of the list of cancer centres, affiliated research institutes, medical colleges
andpartnerhospitals underthe Grid, State-wise;and
(e) the extent to which collaboration under this network has benefited cancer patients, especially at the
grass-roots level?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (c): The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to States
and Union Territories across the country under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of
Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) aspart of the National HealthMission (NHM). The Programme
focusesonstrengthening infrastructure, humanresource development, screening, earlydiagnosis,referral,
treatment, and health promotion for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including cancer as per need
andproposal from the StateandUnion Territories.
A population-based initiative for prevention, control and screening for common NCDs including Cancer
has been rolled out in the country at Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) under National Health Mission
(NHM) as a part of Comprehensive Primary Health Care. Under the initiative, persons more than 30
yearsof age are targeted for theirscreening.The Government of India is implementing the Strengthening of Tertiary Cancer Care Centres Facilities
scheme. Under this initiative, financial assistance is provided as a one-time grant of up to ₹120 crore for
State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and up to ₹45 crore for Tertiary Cancer Care Centres (TCCCs), including
the State share. As of now, 19 SCIs and 20 TCCCs have been approved across the country. These
institutions serve ascritical hubsfor advanced cancercare, diagnosis, research, andcapacity buildingand
are equippedwith specializedinfrastructure andexpertmanpower.TCCCs andSCIsplaya pivotal role in
deliveringhigh-qualitycare andstrengthening the public healthinfrastructure.
Further, The Tata Memorial Hospital has established 06 hospitals providing high quality comprehensive
cancer care treatment in semi-urban and rural areas across the country at Varanasi(Uttar Pradesh),New
Chandigarh(Punjab), Visakhapatnam(Andhra Pradesh),Guwahati (Assam), Sangrur(Punjab),Muzaffarpur
(Bihar)
Under National Programme for Palliative Care (NPPC), the Out Patient, In-Patient palliative care
services are being delivered at district hospitals in 600 districts across all States/Union Territories. Home
based palliative care services are also being delivered by trained Accredited Social Health Activist
(ASHA) andCommunityvolunteers.
(d) The National Cancer Grid (NCG) functions as a countrywide network of cancer centres, medical
colleges, research institutes and partner hospitals, aimed at ensuring uniform, high-quality and evidence-
based cancer care across all States. It develops national treatment guidelines, carries out health
technology assessments, conducts virtual tumour boards for complex cases, undertakes institutional peer
reviews, runs quality-improvement and travelling training programmes, and supports digital oncology
initiatives including electronic medical records and tele-consultation services. It also improves drug
affordability through group negotiations and promotes training and research through fellowships, online
courses and joint research programmes with Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR). At present, there are 394 member organizations in the NCG. In the last two
yearsa totalof 80 cancercentreshave been addedtothe NCG. Between these centres, more than860,000
newcancercases are treatedannually.
(e) The linkage of NCG guidelinesfor cancers for reimbursement with ABPM-JAYhasensured thatthe
beneficiaries are given treatment as per the recommended standards. The oncology Electronic Medical
Record (EMR) which is being deployed by the NCG allows patients to have ownership of their health
records, facilitates seamless transition of care of patients between centres and allows monitoring of
treatment quality. The pooled procurement has improved the access and affordability of life-saving
anticancer medicines in the remote locations ensuring treatment completion without interruptions due to
medicine costs and stock-outs. The virtual tumour boards have facilitated appropriate treatment of more
than7000complexcancer cases. Training of manpower including doctors, nurses andalliedprofessionals
from smaller centreshave ledtoimprovement incare at grassroots level.
****