Why in news:

• The state of Rajasthan is launching a universal registry of cancer soon.
• Despite the fact that the disease is one of the biggest killers and footfall of cancer patients at hospitals has been increasing over the past few years, the state government has no such registry available which could accurately show prevalence of the ailment in the state.
  
  
  
   

Key Points:

• For the purpose, the health department is launching a universal health registry, claiming that it will be one-of-its-kind cancer registry in the country, which is why, it has been named ‘universal’ cancer registry.
• In some other states in India as well, there exist specific cancer registries, but these are not universal.
• It is limited to some districts in a particular state, but in Rajasthan the authorities are taking it forward and making it universal cancer registry.
• Universal means it will be implemented in the entire state. It will show the correct picture of cancer in the entire state.
• The health department has signed an MoU with Indian Council for Medical Research, Bangalore, which will help the state government in preparing the software for cancer registry.
• We will identify all the hospitals providing treatment to cancer patients and laboratories, which are diagnosing the ailment in the state.
• They all will be linked to the software and they will be asked to provide details of each new cancer patient’s diagnosis.
• The health department will seek details of patients such as address, age, medical history of person diagnosed with cancer.
• The benefit of the cancer registry will be much more. The authorities will come to know that which particular area is having what kind of cancer prevalence.
• Like, if a district has high prevalence of oral cancer, the concerned authorities will come to know about it by cancer registry, it will help the state government in making policy decisions to reduce prevalence of cancer.
• In addition, it will also help in strengthening the cancer treatment facilities across the state.