The Union Health Ministry has approved the establishment of more than 200 Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) across India for the financial year 2025–26, including 14 centres in Andhra Pradesh, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
These approvals follow a national gap analysis conducted by the Ministry using cancer registry data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The planning and site selection for DCCCs were carried out in consultation with state governments, as announced in the Union Budget 2025–26.
Districts with a high cancer burden were prioritised, and proposals were submitted by states and Union Territories. The final list of approved centres was determined by the National Programme Coordination Committee (NPCC) to ensure optimal use of resources and avoid duplication.
The DCCCs will primarily be established in district hospitals, depending on space and infrastructure availability. However, states may also propose setting up these centres in other government health facilities, subject to feasibility.
Each DCCC may cost up to ₹1.49 crore to establish, depending on the specific gaps and needs of the facility. Funding will be sourced from the State Resource Envelope (RE) under the National Health Mission (NHM), with cost-sharing norms applicable as per NHM guidelines.
The government aims to establish DCCCs in district hospitals over the next three years, with over 200 planned for rollout in 2025–26.