JAMMU: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, today informed the House that the health infrastructure for cancer detection and treatment is being upgraded in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister was replying to a question by Tanvir Sadiq in the Legislative Assembly.
She said that as per the Population Based Cancer Registry, 50551 cases in Kashmir Division and 13912 cases in Jammu Division were registered between 2018-2024. She said that 2 percent to 3 percent case increase is also being witnessed annually.
The Minister informed that the cancer patients in J&K are given the specialized treatment at SKIMS Srinagar and GMC, Jammu with availability of different facilities including radiation oncology, Critical Care ICU, Nuero ICU, CVTS ICU, Pulmonary ICU and Paediatric ICU at SKIMS.
She said that the Government Medical College, Jammu is presently providing OPD Services, Chemotherapy, PET CT Scan. Brachytherapy, Radiology Tests, Digital Radiography and Colposcopy to the cancer patients.
The Minister said that the State Cancer Institute is functional at SKIMS Soura which was commissioned on December 05, 2020 and houses Day Care facility for Medical Oncology patients, Clinical Haematology and Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology for the in-patients.
She further said that the 3rd floor of State Cancer Institute, SKIMS is ready for shifting of bone marrow Transplant facility and recruitment of manpower in this regard is under progress. She said that the dedicated Operation theatre for Cancer Patients is being operationalized at SKIMS Soura, which would be ready soon.
She further said that the work on three Operation Theatres and 10 bedded ICU in State Cancer Institute, Jammu is near completion and likely to be completed by the end of March, 2025.
She maintained that efforts are on to decentralize the Cancer care which has been already accomplished to a great extent by way of having Chemotherapy at District Day Centers.
The Minister further said that the Government has already taken an initiative of decentralising the cancer treatment by establishing cancer care in all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
