Demanding that cancer be classified as a notified disease like cholera and malaria, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh said people suffering from it should be treated free of cost.
The Aam Aadmi Party MP raised the issue of rapidly increasing cases of cancer in the country and the huge expenditure on its treatment during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha on Monday. According to WHO, 22 lakh people have died of cancer in India in the last three years and 9 lakh people have died in 2022 alone. He said the government has a parliamentary committee report and there are some suggestions in it, such as 25% of cancer patients in the country should be treated free of cost in private hospitals and children should be treated for free.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha, MP Sanjay Singh said that cancer is such a big and serious disease that a person is broken in two ways. A cancer patient suffers physically as well as financially. The figures of this are extremely shocking, the speed with which the prevalence of cancer is increasing in India, all of us need to worry about it and take necessary steps, he asserted.
“According to the WHO report, 22 lakh people have died of cancer in the last three years. In 2022 alone, 9 lakh people have died of cancer. The number of people dying in our country due to cancer every year is more than the population of some countries. I was looking at the population of some countries, the population of Bhutan is 7,80,000; the population of Guyana is 8 lakh; the population of Luxembourg is 6,53,000; the population of Maldives is 5,24,000. Cancer is killing more people in our country than the population of many countries,” Sanjay Singh stated.
Even in the past, Sanjay Singh had tried to draw the attention of the House to the sufferings of the cancer patients through Special Mention, Question Hour and Private Member Bill. During the Monsoon Session of 2023, he had given notice to introduce a private member bill called ‘Right to Free Cancer Treatment’ in the Upper House. But due to some reasons, he was suspended from the proceedings of the House. Due to this, Sanjay Singh has raised this issue again in the Parliament. Recently, he had given notice through Special Mention to draw the attention of the House to the difficulties being faced in the treatment of cancer patients.
The Rajya Sabha MP further informed the House today that there is a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee about this which is under consideration of this government. “Its member and chairman Shri Ram Gopal Yadav is also present here, that report is in the public domain. It has some recommendations which are very crucial to be implemented in the country. That report clearly states that necessary arrangements should be made to provide free treatment to 25% people in private hospitals in this country. The government should make such a law that cancer patients should get 25% free treatment in private hospitals,” said Sanjay Singh.
He further said, “Secondly, small children are getting cancer, their families are extremely distressed and pained upon seeing them. There is no hope of survival. They sell their houses and lands to get their children treated. Therefore, the cancer treatment of children should be made completely. This is the second recommendation in it.”
“It is very unfortunate that diseases like cholera, malaria, meningitis, typhoid, etc. have been notified by the government but a serious disease like cancer has not been notified. This is a matter of great concern for the country. So, in the end, I would just say that this disease should be notified so that the number of deaths caused due to cancer can be curbed in India,” Sanjay Singh concluded.