Childhood cancer a govt priority: Niti Aayog member Vinod Paul

New Delhi, Sep 23 (UNI) Emphasising the Narendra Modi government’s “children first” policy, Niti Aayog’s member health Dr Vinod Paul has said the centre is open to considering suggestions for Ayushman Bharat insurance coverage for treatment of childhood cancer under the PMJAY to mitigate financial hardship.

Dr Paul said decision makers would like to know areas where patients of childhood cancer need enhanced insurance coverage.

“I would like to know from the treating physicians here, which are those conditions in which such a top up is required,” he said, while delivering the keynote address at the recent launch of an advocacy campaign “Say No to Financial Hardships”, organised by Cankids, Kidscan – National society for change for childhood cancer – to mark the Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2024.

Dr Paul said, “There is a constant and serious effort to improve the existing package to ensure it is truly reflective of the cost and the resources that go into the treatment of children so that the people’s resources are used in public care in a rational and justified manner.”

Earlier, Mukul Marwah, Vice Chairman of Cankids Kidscan, himself a retired Government of India officer, welcomed Dr Paul, a distinguished paediatrician, researcher, and public health advocate and recipient of the Gold Hero Award from Cankids, highlighting his contribution in advancing healthcare policies.

He highlighted the pivotal roles played by Dr Paul in the Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) schemes, providing comprehensive packages for childhood cancer treatments thereby advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, for children with cancer across India. Thus, aligning with WHO’s Global Initiative on Childhood Cancer (GICC) and the India Childhood Cancer Initiative (ICCI).

With over 35 years in government service, Dr Paul has played an important role in encouraging and empowering NGOs and stakeholder engagement that enables healthcare accessibility for all, particularly in the realm of childhood cancer, said Marwah.

Dr Paul’s keynote address focused on the fundamental pillars of universal health care: ensuring access to necessary medical services and protecting individuals from financial hardship during their treatment.

Sharing his vision for demystifying cancer treatment, Dr Paul called for greater public-private partnership (PPP) for increasing access to treatment by making chemotherapy available close to a patient’s home at district hospitals, medical colleges or nursing homes.

He said PMJAY was a great PPP example yet the private sector may play a bigger role in improving health care. “We need to see how CSR can contribute, how insurance can be made affordable… how to build on the classical paradigm of PPP,” he said.

Talking specifically about making cancer treatment available in every city, he said, “The consultations and treatment prescription can be given by specialists through teleconsultation, but chemotherapy can be conducted by trained people closer to a patient’s home.”

He added that key areas of focus need to be early detection of cancer, role of primary care team, insurance coverage and continuity of treatment.

The private sector can always contribute in terms of training care givers, offering infrastructure for use or providing commodities like drugs, and private health insurance for the vast “middle” he said.

He said the Modi government is mindful of improving the health services and reducing the out-of-pocket spending of people on treatment. “As we move in the direction of 2047 and aim to become a developed nation, health care and insurance coverage has to meet the benchmark set by the West for us to follow,” he said.

Dr Paul commended CanKids for its contribution to the lives of thousands of families. He praised the organization’s commitment to service, selflessness, and empathy, which has set a high standard in the field of childhood cancer support. He shared his personal observations of CanKids’ work, noting the dedication of their teams who offer support and care in hospitals and beyond.

Poonam Bagai, chairperson of Cankids, Kidscan, said Dr Paul’s guidance has played a big role in saving lives of children battling cancer and his vision on increasing access to cancer treatment promise to reduce financial hardship of patients.

Underscoring Cankids vision, Bagai said, “By 2030, we are confident of achieving our goals of Universal Health Coverage for children with cancer – 100 percent access and 100 financial support, with the support of all stakeholders and mentors and guides like Dr Paul.”

Dr Paul also stressed that under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, the world’s largest health insurance scheme, seven crore hospitalisations have been handled since the scheme’s inception.

“The cumulative savings to the people and the nation under the scheme has been Rs 1,35,000 crore,” he said, adding that nearly 85 crore Indians today are getting health insurance cover under central government or state government schemes.

He said the government was currently reimbursing certain portion of the cost of treatment of cancer patients, including cases of leukemia and childhood cancer, and efforts are on to further improve access to treatment and reduce financial hardship.

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