Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday appealed to all Members of Parliament to ensure a thorough health check-up of citizens in their respective constituencies every year for early detection of health issues.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Nadda said the government has started a campaign to conduct health check-up for all citizens aged 30 at the Ayushman Arogya Mandir. The free check-up is to detect high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
The minister said that ever since the campaign started, 35 crore people were screened, of whom 4.2 crore were detected with hypertension and 2.6 crore were found to be diabetic. Of the 29.35 crore people screened for oral cancer, 1.18 crore were detected with cancer, he said.
"I appeal to all of you, honourable members, to conduct a thorough health check-up for all every year," Nadda said, adding he was confident that the MPs will do their best.
The minister said that at present 372 day care cancer centres, 19 state cancer centres and 22 tertiary cancer centres are operating in the country.
He said all the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have full-fledged cancer care centres with modern equipment, and that a super speciality hospital in Haryana's Jhajhar, with 1,400 beds, is one of the best cancer hospitals in the world.
Nadda said that as per the budget announcement, the government is going to set up one cancer day care centre in every district, where chemotherapy can be administered.
"This year, we are going to open 200 such centres across the country. The rest will be opened in the coming years," he said.
Replying to another question, Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said the government has disbursed Rs 3,635 crore through direct benefit transfer to tuberculosis patients. She said each patient is given Rs 1,000 to buy nutrients.
