68 lakh cancer treatments provided under Ayushman Bharat scheme

More than 6.8 million cancer treatments have been performed under the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, known as PMJAY. The total value of these treatments exceeds 13,000 crore rupees. Remarkably, 76% of these treatments were provided in rural areas. Union Health Minister J P Nadda shared these details on Tuesday in Parliament. He noted that out of the total treatments, over 450,000 were for targeted therapies, with a similar percentage coming from rural communities. The PMJAY scheme covers a wide range of cancers, including breast, oral, and cervical cancers. For patients below the poverty line, assistance of up to 15 lakh rupees is available through the Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund. The program also supports the sale of generic medicines at significantly lower prices through Jan Aushadhi Stores and AMRIT Pharmacies. The government has plans to establish 200 daycare cancer centres by 2025-26 to further enhance access to cancer care. In addition, it has already set up 19 state cancer institutes and 20 tertiary cancer care centres across the country.