Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Nagaon MP-elect Devasish Sharma wants to label cancer as a notifiable disease throughout Assam. This shift would force healthcare providers to report every diagnosis to state authorities. It provides a clearer picture of the disease burden across districts. Better data leads to better planning.
Sharma draws on his history with the cancer support group Deepshikha to push for these changes. He says this approach will help "strengthen cancer surveillance and address gaps in financial support for families facing high medical expenses." He aims to track regional variations to guide resource allocation and hospital infrastructure.
The proposal also targets the middle class. These families often face ruinous costs for surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and diagnostic tests. They frequently get left behind by current welfare programs. Sharma intends to build new support mechanisms for those who currently fail to meet existing eligibility criteria.
Assam is already expanding its medical footprint. New facilities are rising in Nagaon, Sivasagar, Dhubri, and Nalbari. Policy makers have not yet set a timeline for these new initiatives. Details on funding and specific eligibility rules remain under review.
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