‘ Arogya Yojana to also help counter childhood cancer’

A member of the Niti Aayog, Dr Vinod Kumar Paul said that the treatment of childhood cancer will be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

Dr Paul was speaking at the 10th Annual National Childhood Cancer Excellence Awards Programme in the national capital. According to him, this scheme will provide health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to poor families. BPL and lower middle class families will benefit from it. Cankids, the organiser of the event, invited about 100 childhood cancer survivors from across the country to participate in this award ceremony. Dr Paul presided over the award ceremony as the chief guest.

“Childhood cancer will be treated under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the rate in this regard has been fixed. By 2022, 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres will be opened across India under the scheme,” Dr Paul added. This award ceremony also launched the ‘ Survivor Passport’ website, which is a service for childhood cancer survivors so that they have a copy of the complete medical record of their treatment and its long term side effects; due dates for the periodic check- up; and doctors’ advice on the do’s and don’ts.

The award programme is organised to motivate these children to carry on with their studies despite the hurdles that they have faced or are facing. Twelve excellence awards were given this year to exceptional childhood cancer survivors.