India Expands Cancer Care Network with 524 Day-Care Centres and Advanced Oncology Services

India has expanded its cancer-care infrastructure through district-level clinics, specialised treatment centres, population-based screening and financial protection under government health schemes.

Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, or NP-NCD, 770 District NCD Clinics, 524 Day Care Cancer Centres and 6,410 NCD clinics at Community Health Centres have been established across the country.

Healthcare remains a State subject, with the primary responsibility for providing cancer-care services resting with State governments. The Department of Health and Family Welfare supports States and Union Territories through technical and financial assistance under the National Health Mission.

The NP-NCD programme focuses on infrastructure development, trained human resources, health promotion, screening, early diagnosis, referral and treatment of non-communicable diseases, including cancer.

Financial support for cancer treatment is also available through the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Eligible families receive health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation.

The scheme provides cashless treatment for 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialties through empanelled public and private hospitals. Cancer-related packages include medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology. States and Union Territories can also customise health-benefit packages according to local healthcare requirements.

Population-based screening for oral, breast and cervical cancers is being conducted under the National Health Mission to support early detection and reduce waiting periods for diagnosis and treatment.

Individuals aged 30 years and above are screened through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs by trained frontline health workers, including Accredited Social Health Activists and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives. Suspected cases are referred for further diagnosis and treatment, helping patients begin medical care at an earlier stage.

Day Care Cancer Centres are being established at district hospitals under a hub-and-spoke model. These centres aim to decentralise cancer care and improve access to chemotherapy and other day-care oncology services closer to patients’ homes.

Tertiary cancer-care capacity is also being strengthened across the country. Under the Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Facilities Scheme, 19 State Cancer Institutes and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres have been approved.

The Tata Memorial Centre has established six hospitals at Varanasi, Visakhapatnam, New Chandigarh, Guwahati, Sangrur and Muzaffarpur to provide comprehensive cancer diagnosis and treatment services.

Cancer-care facilities, including diagnostic, medical and surgical services, have also been extended to all 22 new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.

Advanced oncology services are additionally available through the National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar and the second campus of the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata.

The information was provided by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on July 21, 2026.