Srinagar, Mar 07: Jammu and Kashmir recorded 64,463 cancer cases over the past seven years, including 50,551 from Kashmir and 13,912 from Jammu, the Minister of Health and Medical Education has informed the Legislative Assembly.
The information was provided by the Minister of Health and Medical Education in the Legislative Assembly in response to a question raised by MLA Zadibal Constituency, Tanjeev Sadiq, regarding the cancer cases in the UT.
The reply said that, as per the Population-Based Cancer Registry, the total number of cancer cases in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from 2018 to 2024 stands at 64,463.
In the Kashmir division, there were 6,649 cancer cases in 2018, 6,374 in 2019, 6,113 in 2020, 7,090 in 2021, 7,846 in 2022, 8,124 in 2023, and 8,355 in 2024, bringing the total to 50,551 cancer cases.
Similarly, in Jammu division there were 2334 in 2018, 2099 in 2019, 1718 in 2020, 1762 in 2021, 1726 in 2022, 2036in 2023 and 2237 in 2024 making the total case load to 13,912.
It added that the number of new cancer cases has been increasing by 2 per cent to 3 per cent over the last three years. Presently, cancer patients in Jammu & Kashmir receive specialized treatment at SKIMS Srinagar and GMC Jammu, with the following facilities available:
The house was informed that cancer patients in Kashmir have access to radiation oncology, Critical Care ICU, Neuro ICU, CVTS ICU, Pulmonary ICU, and Pediatric ICU at SKIMS.
Similarly, in Jammu, GMC Jammu provides OPD services, chemotherapy, PET-CT scan, brachytherapy, radiology tests, digital radiography, and colposcopy for cancer patients.
In response to the question regarding the lack of a dedicated ICU and operation theater for cancer patients, the reply stated that the State Cancer Institute at SKIMS Soura has been functional since its commissioning on December 5, 2020.
“The SCI houses a Day Care facility for Medical Oncology patients, Clinical Hematology, and Radiation Oncology. Medical oncology and Radiation Oncology services are available for inpatients,” it said,
The house was further informed that the third floor of the State Cancer Institute, SKIMS, is ready for the shifting of the Bone Marrow Transplant facility. It added that the recruitment of manpower for bone marrow transplant is currently in progress in the department.
“A dedicated operation theatre for cancer patients is being operationalized at SKIMS Soura, which will be ready very soon,” it said.
The house was informed that the Radiation Oncology facility at SKIMS is also ready for the shifting of the Bone Marrow Transplant facility but is awaiting the recruitment of manpower, for which the case has been forwarded to the concerned agencies.
“The work on three Operation Theatres and a 10-bedded ICU in the State Cancer Institute, Jammu, is nearing completion and is likely to be completed by the end of March 2025,” the reply said.
The minister has informed that efforts are on to decentralise cancer care, which has been significantly accomplished through the establishment of chemotherapy facilities at District Day Centers.
The government has already initiated a plan to decentralise cancer care by establishing cancer care facilities in all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
