Government to set up daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals over next 3 years: Nirmala Sitharaman

The government will facilitate setting up of daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals over the next three years and 200 of these will be established in 2025-26, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Saturday.

Presenting the 2025-26 Union Budget, her record eighth, Sitharaman said gig workers will be provided healthcare facilities under the PM Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

In the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next five years.

The government will facilitate setting up of daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals in the next three years, she said.

She said, "200 centres will be established in 2025-26 itself." Sitharaman further announced that gig workers will be provided healthcare facilities under PM-JAY and this measure is likely to assist nearly 1 crore workers.

On adding seats in medical colleges and hospitals, she said, "Our government has added almost 1.1 lakh undergraduate and postgraduate medical education seats in 10 years, an increase of 130 per cent."

"In the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next five years," she said.

The minister also informed that broadband connectivity will be provided to all government secondary schools and primary healthcare centres.