Leaders urge state health minister to improve facilities, citing high expense of cancer treatment and the poor patient-to-facility ratio
Representation Pic/Istock
The state government is planning to rope in the BMC to strengthen cancer care and other critical treatment facilities, amid concerns over rising costs and inadequate infrastructure.
The issue was raised in the Assembly on Tuesday, where members urged the state health minister to improve facilities for cancer treatment, dialysis, and other essential services, citing the high expense of treatment and the poor patient-to-facility ratio in the state.
Leaders raised concerns over the high costs of drugs and the overall cancer treatment while demanding the establishment of cancer care facilities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the expansion of the Tata Cancer Hospital, which has been delayed.
Voices
Amin Patel, Congress MLA
Patel raised concerns over the rising cost of chemotherapy and overall cancer treatment, urging the government to increase the number of cancer specialists, doctors, and paramedical staff in public hospitals. He also demanded steps to reduce the high cost of medicines used by cancer patients as well as the steep premiums of cancer insurance policies.
Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party MLA
Speaking on the issue of the expansion of the Tata Cancer Hospital, which has been delayed, Shaikh claimed that land has been allotted behind the Haffkine Institute for the expansion, but the project has been delayed as BMC has not handed over the plot due to premium-related issues.
Prakash Abitkar, State health minister
Abitkar said patients travel to Mumbai for cancer treatment so we need more facilities in the city. He said that he will soon call a meeting of the state and BMC chief to address the issue and improve the facilities. Abitkar said companies manufacturing the medicines also need to be consulted for a solution to bring down the high costs.
CM assures better hospital services for poor
The state government has decided to amend existing law to make it compulsory for all hospitals registered under the Charity Commissioner to implement state and central government health schemes.
Rules state
All registered hospitals will be required to prominently display patient information for the poor and weaker sections. It is now mandatory for these hospitals to put up a clearly visible board showing the number of beds reserved for economically weaker patients and how many of those beds are currently available.
Cost of treatment
Avg cost in India — up to Rs 5,00,000
Chemotherapy: Up to Rs 6,50,000
Drugs Rss10,000 - Rs 1,00,000
Oral chemotherapy Rs 1,00,000- Rs 25,00,000
Chemotherapy injection
Rs 18,000 - Rs 25,000
(Data sourced from TATA AIG)
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