NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Monday inaugurated an advanced radiotherapy facility worth Rs 39 crore at AIIMS Rajkot, marking a significant expansion of specialised cancer care in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region.
Established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), the centre is expected to cater to 500-700 patients annually, benefiting an estimated population of 1.54 crore. It will reduce the need for patients to travel to major cities such as Ahmedabad and Mumbai for advanced cancer treatment.
Addressing the gathering, Nadda highlighted the extensive medical, emotional, social and financial challenges faced by cancer patients and their families. He stressed that timely treatment is essential and that access to quality healthcare should not depend on a person’s geographical location or financial circumstances.
The minister said the new facility would particularly benefit residents of Saurashtra and Kutch, who previously had to travel long distances to access specialised radiotherapy services.
Nadda also highlighted the expansion of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences network under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that India has grown from a single AIIMS in New Delhi to 22 institutions, of which 18 are operational. He said this expansion has significantly strengthened access to specialised tertiary healthcare across the country.
Emphasising the importance of prevention and early diagnosis, the minister shared figures on cancer screening under the government’s healthcare initiatives.
Since 2018, approximately 37.7 crore people have been screened for oral cancer through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, leading to the detection of around 2.5 lakh cases. Breast cancer screening has covered nearly 17.7 crore women, identifying approximately 95,000 cases, while cervical cancer screening has reached 9.8 crore women, with around one lakh cases detected.
He further noted that approximately 44 crore screenings each have been conducted for hypertension and diabetes, highlighting the government’s focus on early detection and timely intervention.
Referring to findings cited from a Lancet report, Nadda said 90 per cent of cancer patients begin treatment within 30 days. He attributed improvements in timely access to care partly to the expansion of financial protection under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
Officials said eligible beneficiaries under the scheme would receive cancer treatment free of cost at AIIMS Rajkot, while other patients would be treated at subsidised rates.
Gujarat Minister of State for Health Praful Pansheriya welcomed the inauguration and thanked Prime Minister Modi for strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the region. He said the facility would provide substantial relief to people across Saurashtra.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava described the inauguration as an important milestone in the development of AIIMS Rajkot and a step towards achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.
She highlighted the National Health Policy 2017, which aims to provide comprehensive healthcare through preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative services, with universal health coverage as a national objective.
Srivastava said healthcare infrastructure has been strengthened through the establishment of more than 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.
She also outlined measures to improve the affordability of cancer medicines, including trade margin rationalisation, AMRIT pharmacies, Jan Aushadhi Kendras and exemptions from basic customs duty. CAR-T cell therapy, she added, is also available at affordable rates in India.
The newly inaugurated facility is equipped with a High Energy Linear Accelerator (LINAC), a Wide Bore CT Simulator and a High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy Unit.
These technologies support advanced radiation treatment methods such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, image-guided radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery. They enable radiation to be delivered with millimetre-level precision, improving the accuracy of cancer treatment.