Lalhmangaihi Chhakchhuak
University of Hyderabad, India
Title: The burden of being cancer: Study of economic impact of cancer in Mizoram
Biography
Biography: Lalhmangaihi Chhakchhuak
Abstract
According to the report of Development of Atlas of Cancer in India (DACI), the state capital of Mizoram, Aizawl district has ranked the highest in cancer population in India followed by Serchhip district in the same state. Situated in the Northeast India, with a small population of ten lakhs, Mizoram has been recorded the highest cancer cases in India according to the reports of National Cancer Registry Program of 2009-2011. The consumption culture of the Mizos like tobacco consumption, smoked meat, dried vegetables, the favorite sauce made of fermented pork fats may have contributed the scientific explanation to the causes of cancer. Cancer has always been an expensive illness for the well-to-do family as well as the economically weaker section. With just one Government Cancer Research Institute in Mizoram, person living with cancer in Mizoram faces many problems regarding efficient treatment. This paper will try to explore the problems and burden faced by cancer affected in Mizoram. This paper is an empirical study and will try to narrate from the perspective of cancer affected. The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) is one of the only sources for the economically weaker section for receiving medical expenses bill and a few government workers could reimburse medical bill from the government. This paper will examine the economic impact of cancer and medical expenses of the cancer affected one. The suffering and pain faced by person living with cancer, contributed by economic problem within the family and the feeling of self-identified as a burden within family and society will be the argument discuss on this paper.