NEW DELHI: People living near river drains are highly prone to cancer, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had conducted a study that revealed that people dwelling near river drains are highly prone to cancer.
She said the results of the study revealed that lead, iron and aluminium exceeded the permissible limit of the Central Pollution Control Board.
She also said the central government implements strengthening of tertiary care cancer facilities scheme.
19 State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) have been approved under the scheme.
National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar (Haryana) and second campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata have also been set up to provide advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities.
Cancer treatment facilities have been approved in all 22 new AIIMS with diagnostic, medical and surgical facilities.
The minister said the treatment in government hospitals is either free or highly subsidized for the poor and needy.
Treatment of cancer is also available under Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY). This scheme provides for Rs. 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care, benefiting 55 crore people (12.37 crore families, bottom 40% of the population).
Recently, PM-JAY extended health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 plus, regardless of income.
She said under AB-PMJAY, cancer related treatment is provided under more than 200 packages having more than 500 procedures of Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Palliative Medicine in the national Health Benefit Package (HBP) master.
The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Scheme was launched to set up dedicated outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices.
As on February 28, a total of 15,057 PMBJKs have been opened in the country.
2047 types of medicines and 300 surgical devices have been brought under the PMBJP scheme and covers all major therapeutic groups, out of which 87 products are available for the treatment of cancer, Patel said.