The overall expenditure in the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP)
remained low in the past years, notwithstanding the claims by the Centre
otherwise. The utilisation of the allotted funds was very low at 33 per
cent and 28 per cent respectively against the approved outlays for
2007-08 and 2008-09, according to the data available.

The
expenditure based on revised allocation was just 50 per cent of the
approved outlay for 2009-10, prompting the Planning Commission to ask
the Health Ministry to restructure programme and achieve greater levels
of utilisation during the remaining period of the current Five Year
Plan, it is learnt.

In view of high cost of treatment of cancer, ‘Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund’ with a corpus of Rs.100
crore was set up in 2008-09.The revised strategy has since been
prepared, which aims at early diagnosis and treatment by decentralizing
such function to districts. Currently, the NCCP continues on the pattern
of Tenth Plan and the utilisation was also low.

However, Health
Ministry sources claimed that the government was giving thrust to the
programme and reformulated a comprehensive National Programme for
Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases
& Stroke (NPCDCS) for the remaining two years of the 11th Five Year
Plan. During the year 2010-11 and 2011-12, a provision of Rs.1230.90 crore has been made for NPCDCS out of which Rs.731.52 crore is for cancer component. The new programme envisages implementation in 100 districts of 21 States.

The
objectives of the new programme are to prevent and control of common
non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which includes cancer, through
behaviour and life style changes, provide early diagnosis and
management of common NCDs, build capacity at various levels of health
care for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common NCDs, train human
resource with the public health set up to cope with the increasing
burden of NCDs and establish and develop capacity for palliative &
rehabilitative care.

Cancer is an important public health
problem with 7 to 9 lakh cases occurring every year. At any point of
time, it is estimated that there are nearly 25 lakh cases in the
country. Four lakh deaths are estimated to occur every year due to
cancer, it is viewed.