One year after their announcement, 34 per cent of day care cancer centres (DCCCs) approved for establishment across district hospitals in FY26 are operational, with states such as Telangana, Bihar and Karnataka reporting a relatively high proportion of functional centres.
According to a parliamentary response by the Union Health Ministry, 102 of the 297 DCCCs are operational across 16 states and Union Territories (UTs).
Of these, Karnataka (16), Rajasthan (8), Telangana (27) and Tripura (3) have a 100 per cent functional centre rate, as against the number of centres approved for FY26.
They are followed by states such as Bihar and Himachal Pradesh, which have operationalised more than 50 per cent of centres allocated to them.
In contrast, high-burden states such as Maharashtra and Jharkhand have a zero functional rate, despite the Centre approving multiple DCCCs in these states, according to health ministry data.
The response added that 14 of the 30 states and Union Territories with approved DCCCs have so far failed to operationalise even a single centre.
People in the know told Business Standard that while 200 centres were initially planned to be set up in FY26, 297 were eventually approved after assessing the need in several high-burden states.
“The ministry had initiated a gap analysis and surveys to identify high-need areas for DCCC implementation, identifying manpower shortages, lack of training, and the absence of a referral system between different strata of health centres,” an official added.
The ministry said it has allocated Rs 2.41 crore for new day care centres and is targeting the establishment of 450 DCCCs by the end of FY27. The programme is part of the government’s broader push to strengthen cancer care infrastructure.
Last year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a plan to establish DCCCs in all district hospitals — around 750 nationwide — by FY28, amid a sharp rise in cancer cases.
India reported more than 1.5 million new cancer diagnoses and over 900,000 cancer-related deaths in 2025, with projections indicating a steep increase over the next decade.
These centres follow a hub-and-spoke model, linked to state cancer institutes or medical colleges to ensure protocol adherence, drug availability, tele-mentoring and timely referrals.
By decentralising care, officials said, the government aims to reduce travel time, wage loss and out-of-pocket expenses for patients.
Doctors and public health experts said the pace of operationalisation of DCCCs needs to pick up, as they can help ease pressure on tertiary hospitals.
“While surgeries and complex procedures require tertiary care, routine chemotherapy can be delivered closer to home once protocols are established,” said Dr Mandeep Singh Malhotra, director of surgical oncology at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi.
This, he said, significantly reduces the financial and emotional burden on patients and their families.
A Delhi-based oncologist added that extended stays strain hospital resources and disrupt family life, while patients often spend long hours at overcrowded tertiary centres for each chemotherapy cycle.
“This is where DCCCs can play a critical role, as treatment protocols are pre-defined, allowing patients to receive chemotherapy and return home the same day, closer to their support systems,” she said.
