NEW DELHI, July 31: Members of various parties in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday demanded that cancer detection and treatment centres be opened in every district of the country to help mitigate the problem of the poor suffering from the disease.
Participating in a short duration discussion on the need to ensure basic facilities and affordable treatment to cancer patients, MPs of all parties suggested various measures to tackle the problem which is growing in the country.
A demand to increase government spending on healthcare, improve cancer treatment and detection facilities and reducing the cost of cancer treatment and medicines was also suggested by various members.
Leaders of all parties made the suggestion of setting up cancer detection and treatment centres at all district hospitals in the country.
Initiating the discussion, Vishmabhar Prasad Nishad (SP) said cancer is the worst disease in the world and its incidence is fast increasing in India.
He cited various reasons for it including lifestyle, contamination in food products and water and excessive use of polythene and radiation through mobile phones, as some of the reasons behind the growing incidence of cancer.
He said the WHO has warned that a major part of India’s population will be afflicted with cancer and steps are required to be taken by the government.
The SP member said while the rich can get themselves treated abroad, it is the poor who have to suffer the most and the government needs to step up its efforts in this regard.
Congress leader and former health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad sought the status on various programmes of erstwhile UPA government for boosting infrastructure, human resources and awareness in health care sector particularly killer diseases cancer, diabetics and hypertension.
He told the House that the UPA government had give Rs 5 crore each to 640 districts for early detection of killer diseases and Rs 120 crore per hospital to states for making those as centres for treating such diseases.
He told the House that during 2025 to 2030, cancer, diabetics and hypertension combo would top the chart of diseases and affect a large portion of population. He suggested the government provide more funds for creating infrastructure, human resources and awareness for early detection of these diseases.
He also sought status of cancer centres proposed and set up by the UPA government especially the one in Jhajjar in Haryana.
CPM member K K Ragesh suggested that the Centre should send a team to Kerala to study incidence of cancer in the state.
Besides packaged food should be checked properly as it can cause cancer, he said.
Manoj Jha (RJD) said environmental toxins are the major causes of cancer across the world. He made a case of boosting research in the country on the deadly diseases.
“R&D is very weak in our county. We don’t know what quantum of GDP should be spent on health care. We should have a policy for health care and it should be made fundamental right.,” he said.
Tiruchi Siva (DMK) demanded that the government provide 10-day casual leave for treatment of cancer to its employees.
He also said that medicines for such diseases should be made cost effective and free for poor in government hospitals. (PTI)
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