VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare, Vidadala Rajani said the government is working with a vision that no cancer patient should be going out of the State for treatment and that steps have been taken to achieve the goal of free cancer treatment by 2030.
She held the virtual review on the revolutionary changes and further development programs in providing treatment for cancer in the State. She held the virtual review with principals of government medical colleges, superintendents of teaching hospitals, higher officials and staff of government cancer care here on Monday from the health, medical and family welfare central officer. Advisor for comprehensive cancer care Dr Nori Dattatreyudu also participated in the review.
Speaking on the occasion, minister Vidadala Rajani lauded Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for his efforts to achieve his aim of providing free cancer treatment to all patients, unlike the previous government, which didn’t care about the lives of cancer patients.
“The state government is providing free cancer care in the State by spending 400 crores per annum and bringing treatment for cancer at all the government teaching hospitals by spending 118 crores. So far, cancer patients are undergoing free treatment for about 400 cancer procedures under the Arogyasri scheme.”
“We are spending 46 crores to procure the cancer treatment equipment only for the cancer hospital in Visakhapatnam and going to establish a cancer hospital in Kurnool, with a fund of 120 crores. Both the cancer hospitals in Visakhapatnam, and Kurnool will start their services by September this year,” she said.
The officials of the government hospitals with cancer treatment facilities have been ordered to conduct cancer screening tests in the villages and monitor the same. The officials were told to utilise the NGOs such as Grace Foundation which is working on cancer treatment.
Speaking on the occasion, Nori Dattatrayudu said that AP government is the third State in the country to announce cancer as a notifiable disease and it is developing the Balaji Institute of Oncology in Tirupati as the regional hub. The government is willing to service pediatric oncology services also.
MT Krishna Babu, J Nivas, CEO of Arogyasri, Harindraprasad and others were present.