A parliamentary committee has urged the government to make cancer care more affordable by standardising diagnostic package prices and expanding insurance coverage.
The Rajya Sabha’s Committee on Petitions, led by Narain Dass Gupta, said regulated pricing would help insurers include more hospitals and diagnostic centres in their networks, ensuring wider access to cashless services. It also called for extending price caps on anti-cancer drugs to include vaccines, immunotherapy, and oral chemotherapy.
The panel recommended setting up more cancer hospitals and screening centres, especially in rural areas, through government funding, private sector participation, and public-private partnerships. It also suggested integrating cancer screening into key health schemes like PMJAY, CGHS, and ECHS to make better use of existing infrastructure.
Highlighting the country’s low screening rates and lack of diagnostic facilities in villages, the panel stressed the need for region-specific awareness campaigns. It urged the government to work with NGOs and even celebrity cancer survivors to break stigma and promote early detection.
The committee further called on insurers, banks, and CSR initiatives to join hands in building an inclusive and sustainable cancer care system. It praised initiatives like the Jan Aushadhi scheme for providing low-cost medicines but said more pharmaceutical companies should expand patient assistance programmes to support vulnerable groups.
