Srinagar, Sep 22: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that around 51,000 cancer cases are currently registered in the Union Territory.
Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo, while replying to a question raised by MLA Mir Saifullah in the Assembly said gastrointestinal, lung and breast cancers account for a significant proportion of the malignancies reported in the region.
The Minister said the rise in cancer incidence in J&K is consistent with the broader global trend and that the government has taken steps to strengthen prevention, early detection and treatment services.
She informed the House that an Apex Committee has been constituted to guide the government and formulate measures for cancer prevention, screening and treatment in the Union Territory.
The Director of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) has been designated as the Nodal Officer for coordinating the initiative.
On the demand for establishing full-fledged cancer hospitals at different locations, Itoo said that two State Cancer Institutes have already been established in J&K.
One of these institutes is functioning at SKIMS, Soura, while the other has been established at Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu.
The institutes have been established with financial and technical support from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD).
According to the Minister, the institutes are aimed at providing comprehensive and specialised cancer care, including diagnosis, treatment and allied oncology services.
She said the existing cancer-care facilities are being strengthened periodically through augmentation of infrastructure, equipment, manpower and specialised treatment services, subject to approved norms and availability of resources.
The government, she said, is also committed to ensuring that cancer treatment remains accessible and affordable, particularly for economically weaker and vulnerable sections of society.
Itoo said eligible cancer patients are being provided cashless or free treatment, wherever applicable, under the Ayushman Bharat scheme at empanelled government and private healthcare institutions.
The coverage includes diagnostic, therapeutic and hospitalisation-related services falling under the approved treatment packages, subject to eligibility conditions and applicable scheme guidelines.
She further informed the Assembly that poor and needy cancer patients requiring additional financial assistance can receive support under the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for Poor (CTMFP), subject to prescribed eligibility criteria, guidelines and availability of funds.
“These measures are aimed at facilitating timely access to appropriate cancer treatment and reducing the financial burden on eligible patients and their families,” the Minister said. (KNO)
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