Shortage of oncologists, particularly specialists, in the country has hit the Government’s cancer screening and control programme launched last year. It has also sent the alarm bells ringing since cancer is fast spreading its tentacles among the populace with morbidity and mortality set to rise in the coming years.
Against this backdrop, the Health Ministry has decided to rope in private medical colleges to pitch in its National Programme of Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes and Cardiovascular diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) as far as cancer disease is concerned. The programme to screen locals for cancers besides other lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and stroke was launched in 2011 keeping in mind that early detection is important in their treatment. As per the WHO, there are two components of early detection efforts: early diagnosis and screening.
However, sources in the Union Health Ministry said that while its scheme for detecting diabetes and hypertension and cardiovascular has taken off in 30 districts since 2011-12, the cancer detection rate has been almost negligible. Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had recently said, “There are a very few specialists to treat cancer. We are planning to take the help of the medical colleges in the private sector to push our cancer screening and control programme.”
A senior health official explained that in many States which have set up daycare centres for cancers (DCCCs) to screen the patients for the dreaded disease, not a single oncologist has been appointed so far. At DCCCs, the BPl patients suffering from various types of cancers are to be provided with free chemotherapy. At present, the chemotherapy facility is available at Government medical colleges and hospitals and some private hospitals.
According to HCG Cancer Care Network, there are only 2,000 oncologists in the country as against the requirement of nearly 6,000. Nearly 150 medical oncologists graduate from various institutes annually. It is too less, said the official. Across the country, there are 27 regional cancer centres and nearly 300 private hospitals where oncology services are provided in the country. Overall, the estimated number of new cancer cases among women and men in India is 10.86 lakh in 2013 which is expected to jump to 11.48 lakh in 2015.