NEW DELHI: India has added 30 new cancer hospitals in the last nine years, and work is underway on 10 new cancer hospitals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of Shri Khodaldham Trust-Cancer Hospital in Gujarat via video message, Modi said treatment of a serious disease like cancer becomes a big challenge for any person and family. “The government is trying to ensure that no patient faces difficulties in cancer treatment,” the PM said.
He underlined the importance of detecting cancer at the right stage for its treatment. In India, cancer already starts to spread by the time the people of the villages get diagnosed. To avoid such situations, PM said, the central government has built more than 1.5 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs at the village level where the emphasis is being laid on the early detection of many serious diseases including cancer. “When cancer is detected early, doctors also get a lot of help in its treatment,” he added.
Modi said that women have also benefited greatly from the efforts of the central government as he mentioned Ayushman Arogya Mandir playing an important role in the initial detection of diseases like cervical cancer or breast cancer.
PM Modi also spoke about opening 10,000 Jan Aush-adhi Kendras where medicines are made available at an 80% discount.
India recorded an estimated 8 lakh cancer deaths in 2022, up from 7.8 lakh such deaths recorded in 2021 and 7.7 lakh deaths in 2020.