New PMJAY rule bars many cancer specialists from treating patients

[EditorialTeam]

Discussion from HBI desk👇

🏥 New PMJAY Rule Restricting Cancer Specialists – A Growing Concern

A recent policy change under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) has raised serious concerns across the medical community.

🔍 What’s the Issue?

A new eligibility rule now restricts many experienced cancer specialists from treating PMJAY patients. The key reason:

• Only doctors with NMC-recognised super-speciality degrees (DM/MCh/DrNB) are being allowed
• Fellowship-trained oncologists, despite years of experience, are being excluded

📊 Why This Matters

• India sees ~15 lakh (1.5 million) new cancer cases annually

• There is already a severe shortage of oncologists

• Many excluded doctors:

  • Have decades of clinical experience
  • Have served as department heads, teachers, and senior surgeons
  • Have even trained DM/DrNB specialists

👉 Despite this, they are now ineligible under PMJAY

⚠️ Ground-Level Impact

• Reduced access to cancer care, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities

• Longer waiting times for PMJAY patients

• Hospitals may:

  • Remove such specialists from PMJAY panels
  • Terminate contracts due to inability to process claims

📉 Example: In some cities, majority of available cancer surgeons are fellowship-trained, meaning large patient groups may lose access entirely.

🧠 Background of the Policy Conflict

• Earlier (pre-2018), oncology training largely depended on fellowships due to limited DM/MCh seats

• These fellowships were widely accepted in practice and academia

• Post transition from MCI to National Medical Commission (NMC):

  • Only formal degrees are recognised
  • Fellowships are not clearly included in eligibility criteria

🏛️ Current Situation

• Confusion between:

  • National Health Authority (NHA) (empanels hospitals)
  • NMC (decides qualifications)

• No clear clarification issued yet

• Medical associations (including Indian Medical Association (IMA)) have raised concerns

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💬 Key Concerns Raised

• ❗ Policy may be ignoring real-world expertise
• ❗ Retrospective application affecting already practicing specialists
• ❗ Could worsen cancer care accessibility, especially for poor patients

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What are your thoughts on this?

1. Should experience + fellowship training be considered equivalent to formal degrees?
2. Is this rule practical in India’s current oncology workforce scenario?
3. Will this lead to centralization of cancer care in metro cities?
4. How should policymakers balance standardization vs accessibility?

👉 Share your views, experiences, or policy suggestions

News from ETHealthworld👇
New PMJAY Rule Excludes Experienced Cancer Specialists, Impacting Patient Care, ETHealthworld https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/new-pmjay-rule-bars-many-cancer-specialists-from-treating-patients/130048832