Cancer mission soon for early diagnosis, treatment: Ghosh

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh is set to launch a State Cancer Mission to strengthen early diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care for patients, said additional chief secretary, health, Amit Kumar Ghosh."Screening for breast, cervical, and oral cancers is already underway, but the new mission will focus on improving timely diagnosis, treatment access, and long-term monitoring. We must go to the last mile. After screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up will be done under this," he said.
Ghosh emphasized that reducing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and neonatal mortality has been identified as the most critical priority in the state's health transformation plans. "We have succeeded in reducing it from 216 to 141, but in developed nations it is in single digits," he said."The govt is preparing a dedicated MMR Vision that will focus on tracking every high-risk pregnancy, strengthening antenatal care, and addressing anemia among adolescent girls," he said."Health authorities are planning to increase antenatal checkups for high-risk pregnancies from four to nine and ensure close monitoring of newborns during the first hour and the first 24 hours after birth. Large-scale digital tracking systems and targeted supplementation programmes are also being designed," he said.Highlighting improvements in infrastructure, Ghosh said dialysis services were available in every district, reducing the need for patients to travel to major cities."In the area of emergency care, a task force has been constituted to strengthen trauma and emergency services. The state aims to double trauma beds over the next five years and establish multiple level-1 trauma centres on the model of major tertiary institutions," Ghosh said."Hospital infrastructure has also expanded significantly. Around 300 facilities now qualify as district hospitals, including district women's hospitals, while special hospitals ranging from 100-500 beds have been set up to strengthen secondary and tertiary care," he added."The state has intensified efforts under the TB-Free Uttar Pradesh campaign, aligning with the national goal of TB-Mukt Bharat. The program has been given high priority among ongoing national health schemes," Ghosh said.He said technology would play a crucial role in scaling screening and monitoring without proportionately increasing manpower.On healthcare regulation and quality, Ghosh said the state spends about Rs 4,000 crore annually on empanelled private hospitals under public insurance schemes, with a task force set up to monitor standards."Another task force will modernize operation theatres in govt institutions, while the State One Health Mission and proposed implementation of the Clinical Establishment Act aim to strengthen disease monitoring and ensure uniform healthcare standards," he said.