New Delhi/Srinagar | July 25
In a landmark development aimed at strengthening cancer care infrastructure across India, the Union Government has approved the establishment of over 200 Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) for the year 2025–26, with Jammu and Kashmir emerging as one of the top recipient regions alongside Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Jharkhand.
The announcement was made in the Lok Sabha today by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, in a written reply to a question raised by a Member of Parliament.
The initiative will see these DCCCs primarily set up in district hospitals, with a provision to consider other government healthcare facilities based on feasibility and proposals from the States and UTs.
The estimated unit cost per centre is ₹1.49 crore, with variations depending on local infrastructure needs and existing health gaps.
The planning follows a national cancer burden analysis conducted using data from the ICMR cancer registry, with priority given to districts with high incidence of cancer cases. Final approval of locations was made by the National Programme Coordination Committee (NPCC) after extensive consultation with States and UTs.
• Uttar Pradesh: 75 locations
(Moradabad, Bareilly, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Saharanpur, Jhansi, Bijnor, etc.)
• Telangana: 33 locations
(Rangareddi, Nalgonda, Khammam, Mehbubnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, and others)
• Maharashtra: 27 locations
(Nagpur, Thane, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Solapur, etc.)
• Jammu and Kashmir: 6 locations
(Jammu, Shopian, Reasi, Samba, Ramban, Kishtwar)
— marking a significant expansion of cancer care services in a region where patients often travel long distances for treatment.
• Karnataka: 16 locations
(Bengaluru, Mysuru, Ballari, Tumakuru, Udupi, and others)
• Jharkhand: 16 locations
(Ranchi, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Deoghar, etc.)
The newly approved Day Care Cancer Centres are expected to provide early diagnosis, outpatient chemotherapy, follow-ups, and palliative care—relieving pressure from tertiary hospitals and enabling affordable, accessible treatment at the district level.
For Jammu and Kashmir, the inclusion of six districts reflects the Government’s intent to bridge health service gaps in remote and hilly terrains. This will directly benefit patients who previously had to travel to major hospitals in Jammu or Srinagar for treatment.
The Ministry has also emphasized that these centres will be equipped based on real-time infrastructure needs, ensuring optimum resource utilization and preventing duplication of services.
This initiative is part of the broader health reform agenda announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, aimed at expanding specialized healthcare access across India’s underserved regions.
