Congress leader Debabrata Saikia urges Assam CM to ensure free cancer treatment for poor patients

Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has written to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, urging the government to make cancer treatment free of cost for Below Poverty Line (BPL) and low-income patients or to provide state-assisted subsidized care.

In his letter, Saikia highlighted that Assam records nearly 50,000 new cancer cases annually, a rate higher than the national average. Alarmingly, around 70 per cent of these cases are detected at advanced stages, forcing patients to spend exorbitantly on treatment. In many cases, families are compelled to sell ancestral land or take high-interest loans to afford medical expenses.

Saikia noted that while the Assam government partnered with Tata Trusts in 2018 to establish the Assam Cancer Care Foundation—with plans to set up 17 cancer hospitals across the state—only seven facilities have been completed so far. Moreover, among these, only the Barpeta and Dibrugarh hospitals are equipped with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan machines, essential for early cancer detection.

He further pointed out that the government’s recent decision to limit treatment benefits under various health schemes only to Assam Cancer Care Foundation hospitals and government medical colleges has adversely affected poor patients seeking treatment at private hospitals. Previously, such patients could avail themselves of government aid regardless of the hospital’s affiliation.

In his recommendations, Saikia proposed:

Free or subsidized treatment for BPL and low-income cancer patients.

Integration of health schemes such as Assam Arogya Nidhi, Atal Amrit Abhiyan, and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana for cashless treatment.

Enhanced manpower and emergency facilities in cancer care hospitals.

Installation of PET scan facilities in all districts.

Monthly publication of reports on patient numbers, treatment costs, and scheme utilization.

Saikia expressed concern that instead of reducing the financial burden on poor families, the current system has, in many cases, increased treatment costs. He called on the Chief Minister to take immediate action to ensure that no patient in Assam is deprived of life-saving cancer care due to financial constraints.