The National Health Authority (NHA) and National Cancer Grid (NCG) have inked a pact to develop uniform standards of patient care to battle cancer under Ayushman Bharat — Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB - PMJAY).
The National Cancer Grid (NCG) is an initiative of the Central Government to create a network of cancer centres, research institutes, patient groups and charitable institutions across India.
Owing to the multi-disciplinary nature of care required for cancer management, both NHA and NCG recognize the importance of collaborative efforts required to strengthen delivery of cancer services under AB - PMJAY with common objectives to reduce cancer burden, ensure uniform standards of patient care towards effective and efficient patient-centric care, said an official from the Union Health Ministry.
He further said that it will help improve access to cancer services and ensure financial risk protection with minimum prevalence of catastrophic health spending and impoverishment.
NHA and NCG will jointly review existing cancer treatment packages, pricing of services, standard treatment workflows covered under AB-PMJAY and plug in necessary gaps to ensure enhanced quality of cancer care. Both organisations will work on creating cancer services/package benefits based on priority setting tenets such as evidence of efficacy, value (cost-effectiveness), low harm, demand/ burden, medical necessity, and wide availability.
Dr Indu Bhushan, CEO, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, and NHA said, "NCG's support and expertise will help in enabling us to expand our service delivery network by actively encouraging its member hospitals to empanel with AB - PMJAY."