The growing threat of cancer, which is increasingly taking a heavy toll on Indian lives, was forcefully highlighted in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Lawmakers expressed deep concern over the rapid rise in cancer cases across the country and urged the government to take urgent, concrete steps to raise public awareness and enhance medical support for patients battling this deadly disease.
Taking the lead in raising the issue, Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh sounded alarm, warning that cancer is fast evolving into a grave pandemic and could soon become a tsunami engulfing millions.
Citing a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report, Singh pointed out the alarming increase in various types of cancer, including in children—a distressing trend that poses a severe challenge to India’s healthcare infrastructure.
Singh highlighted that changes in diet, sedentary lifestyles, environmental pollution, and other risk factors have fueled the rapid rise in cancer incidence. “Cancer is no longer a distant threat; it is knocking on every door. We must act swiftly to prevent this silent killer from devastating Indian families,” he said.
The MP also urged the government to initiate comprehensive awareness campaigns aimed at educating the public about early detection, prevention, and treatment options. He emphasized the need to strengthen and support premier cancer care institutions like the Cancer Institute in Lucknow and the Kamala Nehru Cancer Institute in Prayagraj, which play a vital role in treating patients but are often overstretched due to rising demand.
On the issue of medical financing, Singh drew attention to the limitations of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which currently offers health coverage up to Rs 5 lakh. Given the skyrocketing costs of cancer treatment and the increasing number of patients requiring prolonged and expensive care, he called for a significant increase in the scheme’s coverage to at least Rs 25 lakh. “For the poorest and most vulnerable, this expansion is not just desirable, it is essential. No Indian should be denied life-saving treatment due to lack of funds,” he asserted.
Cancer, Singh warned, threatens to become one of the deadliest public health crises of the 21st century. With projections indicating that by 2050, as many as 85 percent of cancer patients may succumb to the disease if current trends continue unchecked, he stressed that only a determined and well-coordinated government response can avert this looming catastrophe.
