CM Omar Abdullah revamps cancer treatment-management fund for poor
Srinagar, Sep 2 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday approved a comprehensive overhaul in the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for the Poor (CTMFP).
The office of Omar Abdullah said on X, “Chief Minister has approved a comprehensive overhaul of the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for the Poor (CTMFP), making the scheme more compassionate, accessible and patient-centric.”
According to the social media post, the revised scheme raises the annual income eligibility ceiling to Rs four lakh, enhances financial assistance to Rs 75,000 and permits repeat assistance for up to three sanctions. It also extends coverage to all hospitals empanelled under PMJAY-SEHAT.
“To ensure timely support and minimise delays, financial assistance will now be transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT),” the post further said.
The Chief Minister’s Office said the reforms are intended to provide greater support to cancer patients from the economically weaker sections and make the assistance mechanism more accessible and efficient.
The union territory recorded 68,804 estimated cancer cases between 2021 and 2025, showing a steady upward trend according to data from the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) tabled in Parliament.
Cases rose from 13,060 in 2021 to 13,395 in 2022; 13,744 in 2023; 14,112 in 2024; and 14,493 in 2025. The average daily detection grew from about 36 cases in 2021 to nearly 40 cases per day in 2025.
The union territory experienced an 11 per cent rise in estimated cases across these five years. The common types of cancers among men include stomach (gastric) cancer, which is the most frequent malignancy, followed closely by lung cancer.
In women, breast cancer is the most common, with stomach cancer ranking second.
Experts point to dietary habits (such as salted or fried foods), heavy smoking, lifestyle changes and environmental factors as major reasons for the alarming increase in the number of cancer patients in Jammu and Kashmir.
–IANS
sq/dpb