Allocation for health & family welfare ministry up by 20% to Rs 26,760 crore: Shipping Minister G K Vasan

CHENNAI: The Government has increased the allocation for Health and Family Welfare Ministry by 20 per cent to Rs 26,760 crore in 2011-12, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan said here today.

"To address the overall healthcare requirements of the country, the allocation for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been increased by 20 per cent from Rs 22,300 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 26,760 crore in 2011-12," he said, speaking at the launch of RapidArc and IGRT Facilities at city based V S Hospitals and Madras Cancer Institute here.

He said Rs 731.52 crore has been allocated in the 11th plan period under the National Cancer Control Programme to tackle cancer, diabetes and heart diseases, "which together constitute a public health emergency".

The Centre had taken the decision after observing that these three diseases hamper people and their livelihoods, he said.

Vasan said 100 districts would initially be taken up under the Programme. The Centre was also supporting 27 Regional cancer Centres and 50 government medical college hospitals by giving Rs three crore funds for existing regional centres and Rs five crore for new ones, he said.

He said an additional Rs three crore has been alloted for cancer departments of Government medical college hospitals.

The minister stressed the need to create more awareness of cancer in rural areas, compared to urban areas to prevent its occurrence. "Awareness on cancer is high in urban areas, but has to be raised in rural areas at district level," he said.