Providing top medical facilities to every Indian our priority: Nadda

At the inauguration of AIIMS Oncology Conclave 2025 at the National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, he said that in the past people had to sell their homes and land to afford treatments like cancer care

Union Health Minister J P Nadda Saturday said providing top medical facilities to every Indian is the government's priority and the country has succeeded to a great extent in this direction under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

At the inauguration of the AIIMS Oncology Conclave 2025 at the National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, he said that in the past people had to sell their homes and land to afford treatments like cancer care.

However, with initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and the availability of affordable cancer medicines, all patients can now easily access the treatment they need, he said.

 

The Union Minister said that "under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the hard work of doctors and scientists, we have been successful to a great extent" in achieving the goal of providing top medical facilities to every Indian.  Since the inception of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), approximately 68.43 lakh hospital admissions amounting to Rs 13,160.75 crore have been authorised for cancer-related packages under the scheme, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said on Saturday.

Citing a recent LANCET study, he underlined that "timely cancer treatment initiation has improved significantly because of the Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana".

 

"Patients enrolled under the AB-PMJAY saw 90 per cent rise in access to cancer treatment within 30 days," Nadda said as he inaugurated the second AIIMS Oncology Conclave 2025 at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jhajjar campus.

 

He highlighted that through the 217 AMRIT pharmacies spread across the country, 5,200 drugs for various diseases, including cancer, are made available at an affordable rate.

 

Altogether, 289 oncology drugs are given from these pharmacies at a significant discount of up to 50 per cent of the market rates.

 

"As a result, so far, a total of Rs 6,567 crore have been saved for 5.8 crore beneficiaries based on the discounts offered," Nadda said.

 

"We have plans to establish day care cancer centres (DCCCs) in all district hospitals over the next three years, with 200 this year itself. This initiative aims to bring essential cancer services closer to home, particularly for those in underserved rural areas," he added.

Before the event, Nadda inaugurated the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Radio Nucleotide Therapy Ward, and Free Generic Dispensary at the institute. He also reviewed the facilities available at the institute.

He said the Union government will launch cancer day-care centres in 200 districts of the country with plans to extend this service to every district within the next three years.

"Until 1998, there was only one AIIMS in the country. Under the leadership of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 16 AIIMS were established, and the number increased to 22 in the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Nadda said.

He said research and innovation in the medical field are now driven by humanitarian values.

The government is formulating policies that prioritise public interest, and doctors, paramedics and scientists are working tirelessly, the minister said, adding there is no longer any need to travel abroad for cancer treatment.

He further said that in just six years, AIIMS Jhajjar has emerged as a world-class healthcare institution, setting new benchmarks in medical excellence.

The event was attended by BJP national secretary Om Prakash Dhankar, AIIMS Director Dr N Srinivasan, Dean Academic Dr K K Verma, Additional Secretary of the Health Ministry Jaideep Mishra and cancer specialists, scientists, and scholars from across the country.