Jaipur: Vice President CP Radhakrishnan Saturday said India records more than 15 lakh cancer cases every year, citing the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Cancer Registry Programme, and said the govt has stepped up efforts in prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and patient care.Addressing the 23rd Cancer Survivors’ Day event organised by Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital and Research Centre here, Radhakrishnan said Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana has supported over 68 lakh cancer treatments worth more than Rs 13,000 crore. He said nearly 75% of the scheme’s beneficiaries are from rural areas, highlighting its role in narrowing gaps in access to health care.Radhakrishnan said the Centre is also expanding district-level cancer services through Day Care Cancer Centres, with more than 450 already operational in hospitals across the country. He highlighted measures under the National Health Mission, including early cancer screening through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and the availability of anti-cancer medicines in essential drug lists at district and sub-divisional hospitals.Stressing the need for stronger institutional coordination, the Vice President said cancer treatment centres must improve collaboration and knowledge-sharing. He called for wider dissemination of the latest technological advances in cancer care across public and private hospitals to improve treatment outcomes and expand access to quality care. He said deeper cooperation among institutions would strengthen India’s response to the growing cancer burden.
