In a significant stride towards strengthening cancer care facilities across the nation, the Central Government has successfully implemented the ‘Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Facilities’ scheme under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD). The scheme, operating under the umbrella of the National Health Mission (NHM), focuses on enhancing infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion, and awareness generation for the prevention, early diagnosis, management, and treatment of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), with a particular emphasis on cancer.
Under the NP-NCD, the government has established 753 District NCD Clinics across various states and union territories, providing crucial diagnostic and treatment services for NCDs, including cancer.
Furthermore, the scheme has approved the establishment of 19 State Cancer Institute’s (SCIs) and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) to serve as hubs and spokes in the network of hospitals. The Hub and Spoke model is designed to provide cancer care support to district hospitals and medical colleges, with SCIs functioning as nodal and apex institutions mentoring other government institutes, including TCCCs.
The Central Government, in its commitment to promoting self-sufficiency in healthcare and reducing the dependency on imports, has extended the scheme until 31st March 2024. This extension aims to ensure the completion of existing projects without creating additional liabilities under the scheme.
The initiative also aligns with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat‘ vision, emphasizing the importance of indigenous manufacturing and technology development in healthcare. The project, executed under the Make in India initiative, is poised to generate employment opportunities, encouraging the active participation of Indian industries, including MSMEs, in the field of cancer care.
