[Assam] Move to set up cancer centres in NE States

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Move to set up cancer centres in NE States
>From Our Spl Correspondent
 NEW DELHI, March 14 – Confirming that cancer cases were on the rise in the North Eastern region (NER), the Centre today said that it has embarked on a plan to set up Regional Cancer Centres (RCCs) in each of the eight North astern States, besides providing adequate funds to Dr B Barooah Cancer Hospital. Replying to a Question Hour discussion in the Lok Sabha, this morning, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr Ambumani Ramadoss a RCC was going to be first set up in Guwahati and then in all other States of the region.

Conceding that cancer cases were going up in the North East, the Minister said that it was precisely for this reason RCCs were being set up and Oncology departments in government hospitals were proposed to be sanctioned Rs 2-3 crore for up gradation.

Over the past three years, total grant worth Rs 26.23 crore has been released to the NES under various schemes of National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) including grant of Rs 8.80 crore for RCCs, Rs 16.99 crore under Oncology wing development schemes and Rs 44 lakh under the District Cancer Control Programme.

Under the Programme Rs 1.6 crore has been allocated to Dr B Barooah cancer Hospital, Assam Medical Hospital Rs 2.18 crore, Dr Ramadoss disclosed.

Replying to question by Asaduddin Owaisi, he said his Ministry is also focusing on propagating early detection of the cancer and also to increase awareness among the general masses about diseases through media publicity and also under various schemes of the NCCP.

Population based Cancer Registry Programme of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) shows occurrence of certain types of cancer like oesophagus, lung, mouth, nasopharynx, stomach relatively higher in the North Eastern States as compared to other parts of the country, Dr Ramadoss said.

To provide efficient and cost effective treatment to cancer patients in the region, this Ministry has recognised three RCCs including D. B.B.Cancer Institute, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences Imphal, Civil Hospital Mizoram, which are catering to the needs of the patients.

Asserting that sufficient amount of grants-in-aid has already been provided to these RCCs for development of infrastructure. In addition, grants-in-aid have also been provided to medical colleges and hospitals for purchase of equipment.

RCC Guwahati, has been identified for grant of financial assistance under a new scheme ‘Up gradation of existing RCCs into Centre of Excellence. The proposal was to sanction additional Rs 30 crore to convert the Institute into a Centre of Excellence. But fund constraints forced the Ministry to push it to the 11th Plan, he said.

Dr Ramadoss further added that health being a state subject, it is for the various State Government to ensure that adequate facilities for early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer are made available. The Centre is also supplementing the efforts of the State Governments by providing financial assistance for setting up of RCCs and Radiotherapy units in government medical college hospitals.

Earlier, Khiren Rijiju wanted to know if any study has been conducted in the hill States to ascertain whether food habits including chewing of tobacco.

In response, the Minister confirmed that chewing of tobacco might be one of the reasons, and added that cancer was also spreading because of hepatitis B and D. Efforts are also on to immunise the children to control hepatitis, he said.
 
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