The Assam government has announced a major expansion of its cancer care infrastructure, stating in the Legislative Assembly that 17 Day Care Cancer Centres will be established across the state to improve access to treatment, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Replying to a question by MLA Bolin Chetia on cancer prevention and treatment among women and children, Health Minister Ashok Singhal said the Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) had significantly expanded cancer treatment services through a network of specialised hospitals and satellite centres.
He informed the House that the State Cancer Institute in Guwahati has been developed into a premier cancer treatment facility, while cancer centres at Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Tezpur, Nagaon and Silchar are providing advanced oncology services, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and diagnostic facilities.
To further decentralise cancer care, the government has approved 17 Day Care Cancer Centres. Singhal said 12 centres have already been established at Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Silchar, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Diphu, Goalpara, Tinsukia and Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, while the remaining centres will become operational in phases.
The minister said the centres have been equipped with modern facilities to provide chemotherapy and follow-up treatment closer to patients’ homes, reducing the need for long-distance travel for routine care.
Presenting data in the Assembly, Singhal said the Assam Cancer Care Foundation has treated 315 children with cancer since 2022. Of these, 113 were treated at the State Cancer Institute in Guwahati, 81 at Dibrugarh Cancer Centre, 46 at Barpeta, 20 at Tezpur, 19 at Darrang, 18 at Kokrajhar, 11 at Lakhimpur, five at Jorhat and two at Silchar.
He said the government continues to focus on cancer prevention through community outreach programmes, mobile medical units, Village Health Outreach Programmes and free cancer screening camps. Medicines are also being provided free of cost to eligible patients under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Singhal added that HPV vaccination is being implemented to help prevent cervical cancer among adolescent girls, while Hepatitis-B vaccination under the Universal Immunisation Programme is expected to reduce the incidence of liver cancer.
The minister said the government’s objective is to make quality cancer diagnosis and treatment accessible to every citizen while reducing the financial and logistical burden on patients and strengthening Assam’s public healthcare system.
