Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government’s plan to develop a comprehensive record of cancer cases across the State is yet to receive participation from private healthcare providers, leaving a significant portion of the medical sector outside the newly introduced reporting mechanism.
Although government hospitals have started forwarding patient information to the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), private hospitals and other healthcare establishments are yet to submit their cancer-related records, raising questions over the reach of the initiative.
The reporting system was introduced after the State government formally brought cancer under the notifiable disease category through a notification under the Goa Public Health Act. The objective is to create a consolidated record of cancer diagnoses and strengthen the government’s ability to monitor the disease.
Information has reportedly been received from Goa Medical College and the two district hospitals. The health authorities are currently examining the records and checking for duplicate entries before adding the verified information to the proposed State Cancer Registry.
The lack of response from private medical establishments has prompted the Health Department to consider further engagement with the sector. Officials are looking at reaching out to the Indian Medical Association to encourage doctors and hospital managements to follow the prescribed reporting procedure.
The notification places responsibility on medical practitioners, hospitals, laboratories and other institutions involved in cancer diagnosis and treatment to report newly identified cases. The prescribed timeline requires information to be submitted within seven days, with an outer limit of one month from diagnosis.
The DHS will maintain the central database, with a designated Chief Medical Officer under the Non-Communicable Diseases programme handling the collection of reports.
Patient confidentiality is also part of the proposed arrangement. While individual case details will be maintained for official monitoring, information made available publicly will be presented in an aggregated and anonymised format.
The importance of comprehensive reporting is evident from the State’s existing cancer figures. Government data shows that 4,762 deaths due to cancer were recorded between 2021 and 2025, alongside more than 8,600 newly registered cases during this period.
Health officials expect the registry to provide a stronger evidence base for planning cancer prevention and screening initiatives, identifying disease patterns and improving access to treatment.
