Telangana declares cancer a notifiable disease

The Telangana government has issued a new order making cancer a notifiable disease across the state. All hospitals, clinics, AYUSH centres, and labs must report diagnosed cases and deaths within a month through a centralised portal.

Hyderabad: The State government on Tuesday issued a Government Order (GO Ms No 17) making cancer a notifiable disease in Telangana. All private and government hospitals, henceforth, will have to report all diagnosed cases and even deaths within a month.

Previously, only institution-level registries existed at NIMS and MNJ Institute of Oncology. The new mandate requires all healthcare facilities, including government and private hospitals, clinics, AYUSH centres, and pathology labs, to report data through a centralised state portal.

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The primary objectives are to create a robust surveillance system, identify regional risk factors, and improve early detection measures. The MNJ Institute of Oncology (MNJIORCC) will serve as the “Centre of Excellence,” responsible for validating data before it is submitted to the National Cancer Registry.

The government emphasised that all collected information will remain strictly confidential, used solely for research and policy planning to ensure better resource management and palliative care services for patients.