No more blind spots: Telangana launches cancer registry to track every case

Until now, a person diagnosed with cancer in Telangana would not be captured within a single, real-time system, leaving the State without a clear understanding of the disease burden. This gap will be addressed after the State launched its own cancer registry, becoming one of the few States in the country which will systematically record every cancer case.

The registry was launched by Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha along with Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu and other senior officials on the occasion of World Health Day.

Explaining the functioning of the registry, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, Sangeetha Satyanarayana said that potential cancer cases would be identified through multiple entry points, including screening programmes conducted across the State. These suspected cases would then be referred to government general hospitals for confirmation.

The initiative is built around a hub-and-spoke model, in which tertiary centres such as MNJ Institute of Oncology and Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad will function as hubs, while district cancer care centres will serve as spokes. Patients are expected to receive initial chemotherapy or medical management at these hub institutions, with subsequent treatment sessions potentially shifted to district centres if travel becomes difficult and patients opt for local care.

“The registry would effectively create an atlas of cancer in Telangana, mapping both the types of cancers and their geographical distribution. This would help identify patterns, such as the prevalence of specific cancers in certain districts, thereby aiding research and improving disease management,” she said.

Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha launching Trauma Care Policy during World Health Day celebrations at Ravindra Bharathi. Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu, Hyderabad District Collector Hari Chandana, Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Yadav, NIMS Director Dr. N. Bheerappa and TVVP Commissioner Dr. Ajaya Kumar are also seen, in Hyderabad, on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

At the same event, the Health Minister also launched the ‘Trauma Care Policy for the State of Telangana’, aimed at decentralising emergency medical response. The policy focuses on strengthening the first line of care and reducing pressure on tertiary hospitals. Measures under the policy include mapping ambulance networks, upgrading community health centres (CHCs) into trauma care facilities, and ensuring that accident victims receive timely treatment closer to the site of incidents.

In addition, the government introduced online portals for implementing the Surrogacy Act, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act and the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. These portals are intended to improve transparency and accountability by digitising processes that have so far remained fragmented and largely manual, according to Ms. Satyanarayana.