SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has two State Cancer Institutes (SCIs)—Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, and Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu—the Union Government informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Upper House, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that support is being provided to States and Union Territories under the ‘Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Facilities’ scheme for establishing State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) in government medical colleges, hospitals and erstwhile Regional Cancer Centres.
The Ministry said that 39 institutions, including 19 State Cancer Institutes and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres, have been supported under the scheme across the country. It added that 524 Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) are currently functional to improve access to cancer care at the district hospital level.
The government said that public health and hospitals fall under the jurisdiction of State governments. However, under the National Health Mission (NHM), population-based screening for oral, breast and cervical cancers is being carried out for people aged 30 years and above through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs by trained frontline health workers to facilitate early detection and timely referral.
It further informed the House that cancer treatment is covered under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which provides eligible beneficiary families with health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh annually for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. The scheme covers medical, surgical and radiation oncology services through empanelled public and private hospitals.
The Ministry also said that financial assistance of up to Rs 15 lakh is available under the Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund for poor patients undergoing treatment at State Cancer Institutes, Tertiary Care Cancer Centres and other government hospitals with cancer treatment facilities.
