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Supreme Court tells 19 states cancer is notifiable
LawBeat··12 Aug
The Supreme Court directed 19 states and Union territories to declare cancer a notifiable disease for earlier detection and care. A Chief Justice Surya Kant-led bench noted 17 of 36 states and UTs already notified cancer after a parliamentary panel recommendation. Hearing a PIL by Dr Anurag Srivastava, the court asked the Centre about mandatory uniform guidelines.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Patients and families in non-notifying states can watch how quickly local health departments add cancer to mandatory reporting lists.
- Doctors and hospitals may face clearer reporting duties once state notifications and any central guidelines land.
- Citizens comparing care access can track whether registry expansion reduces late diagnosis in rural districts.
What's Happening
- The Supreme Court directed 19 states and UTs to declare cancer a notifiable disease.
- Seventeen of 36 states and UTs had already notified cancer after parliamentary committee recommendations.
- A PIL by Dr Anurag Srivastava sought nationwide notification and a unified digital registry.
When Notification Turns Cancer Into Counted Public Health Data
- Health is primarily a state subject, but the Centre and states share concurrent power to notify diseases.
- The National Cancer Registry Programme under ICMR currently covers about 10 percent of India population.
- The plea also flagged unverified alternative treatments circulating as cures, including claims about cow urine.
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