The Wenlock Hospital in Mangalur is one of the hospitals in Karnataka Empaneled under the Ayushman Bharath Arrogya scheme. | Photo Credit: HS Manjunath
The use of oncological procedures under Ayushman Bharat Arrogya Karnataka (Ab-Ark) has seen a six-time rise over the last six years. From the 9,328 preliminary authorization approved within the flagship system in 2018–2019, according to data from the health department in 2024-2025 in 2024-2025, the number in 2024-2025.
Karnataka has a high cancer load with approximately one lake of new cases reported every year. The state has an estimated cancer prevalence of approximately 2,35 lakh cases, according to a cancer -based register based on a population at the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Bengalur.
According to doctors, the cumulative risk of developing cancer in their lifetime is one of the seven for men and one of the six for women in Karnataka.
The state provides tertiary care for cancer procedures within the health system and a total of 109 hospitals, including 96 private, is emphasized within the Suvarna arrogya Surraksha Trust (SAST), a node agency that carries out Ab-Ar. Up to eight government medical faculties and 22 private medical faculties are also emphasized for oncological specialty under SAST.
Hower, disturbed oncology hospitals are present only in 21 districts and people from Bidar, Yadgir, Vijayanagara Koppal, Chitradurga, Chickball, Ramanagara, Kodag, Chamarajanagar Chikkamagalur are traveling to other cancer treatment districts.
Preliminary authorization
A total of 2,61 Lakh authorization for 1,301.92 GBP in 2018–2019, when the system was launched, was approved within the system. In the years 2024-2025, a total of 60 301 preliminary authorization for 271.72 crore was spent within the system. Among the procedures to which the scheme is subject to 56% of medical oncological procedures (chemotherapy), 25% radiation oncological procedures and 19% surgical oncological cases, according to the data.
In addition to Kidwai, Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute, VTSM Peripheral Cancer Centers in Kalaburagagi, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences in Hubball and Vijaynagar Institute of Medical Sciences in Ballari are the highest use of oncological procedures.
Since 2022-2023, in the category of government hospitals, the Kidwai Institute has performed the highest procedures within the system (51 418). Between private empaneous hospitals, Bharat Hospital and Institute of Oncology in Mysur, according to data, they performed the highest procedures at 6 204.
Female cancer with high in Bengalur
In Bengaluru of estimated 15,603 cases registered every year there are 8 723 women cancer. Of the 6,880 men cancer, lung cancer is still the most predominant (9.7% of the total cancer of men).
The lung cancer is followed by prostate cancer (6.9%), stomach (6.5%) and mouth (6.4%). Among women, breast cancer is the most common most common, representing 31.5%of total female cancer followed by cervical cancer (9.1%), ovaries (6.4%), mouth (4.3%) and corpus uteri (4.2%).
Published – May 28, 2025 20:29
