India’s National Programme for Prevention & Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS), under the National Health Mission (NHM), is driving the rollout of 200 new district-level daycare cancer centres in 2025–26, with a focus on improving access in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
- Rollout Plan: The initiative, announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, aims to establish 200 new daycare cancer centres in district hospitals across India. These centres are designed as 10-bed units offering essential services like consultations, chemotherapy, counselling, supportive care, and symptom management.
- Progress to Date: As of December 2025, 75 of the 297 approved centres for 2025–26 had begun operations, bringing the total number of functional centres to 439 nationwide. The government reports that 364 centres are already operational across the country.
- Implementation Model: The centres operate under a hub-and-spoke system, linked to state cancer institutes or medical colleges acting as mentor institutions. This ensures adherence to National Cancer Grid (NCG) treatment protocols, tele-mentoring, and timely referrals.
- Funding & Infrastructure: The Central government allocates funds through the State Resource Envelope (SRE) of NHM, with a unit cost of up to ₹1.49 crore per centre. The Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCC) scheme also supports infrastructure development, including a one-time grant of ₹45 crore per TCCC.
- Challenges: Despite progress, staffing shortages, lack of trained oncologists and nurses, and delays in empanelment under Ayushman Bharat remain key hurdles. Some centres, like Andromeda Cancer Hospital in Sonipat, are not yet empanelled, limiting patient access.
- State-Level Success: States like Telangana (all 27 approved centres operational), Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Kerala have shown strong functionality, while others are in varying stages of readiness.
The full rollout is expected to be completed by 2026, with the goal of reducing travel burden, out-of-pocket expenses, and treatment abandonment—especially for patients in underserved regions.
