BARAMULLA: The Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for the Poor (CTMFFP), which once provided a lifeline for underprivileged patients in Jammu and Kashmir was halted in July 2024 even as cancer cases are continuously rising, leaving countless families in despair.
Jammu and Kashmir, which has reported over 12,000 cancer cases every year, is registering an annual increase of 10 to 12%
According to Union Health Ministry data, 51,577 cancer cases were reported in J&K between 2019 and 2022, with 12,396 cases in 2019, 12,726 in 2020, 13,060 in 2021, and 13,395 in 2022.
In 2024, more than 5,200 cancer cases were registered at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura,1,600 at GMC Srinagar, 1,700 at GMC Jammu, approximately 500 at Government Medical College, Anantnag, and around 100 at Government Medical College, Baramulla.
Dr Maqbool Lone, a renowned oncologist, former professor Government Medical College, Baramulla and Head Radiation Oncology Department, SKIMS, Soura pointed out, “Cancer is increasing throughout the whole world; it is not increasing only in Kashmir."
Stopping a Cancer Fund
The cost of cancer treatment imposes a significant financial and emotional burden on patients and their families. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other treatments are expensive, pushing many into debt or forcing them to abandon care altogether.
The stopping of the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for the Poor (CTMFFP) further dampens their hopes of getting some assistance.
In a recent statement, CPIM MLA Kulgam, M Y Tarigami, highlighted the issue and questioned the abrupt halt on the scheme in the face of the rising magnitude of the problem.
“For many of the poor, the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for Poor (CTMFFP) was a beacon of hope, a lifeline that provided the means to fight this relentless disease. However, since July 2024, this lifeline has been halted, leaving countless families in despair.” Tarigami said.
He appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for early clearance of pending applications under the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for the Poor (CTMFFP). The legislator’s plea highlights the very desperate situation that poor patients are undergoing.
However, the assistance provided to cancer patients under this scheme had been gradually reduced over recent years, with no assistance given last year.
The CTMFFP supplements the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF), under which up to Rs 15 lakh financial aid is made available for eligible patients through Regional Cancer Centres and government hospitals.
Reports point out that 88 patients received Rs 430.10 lakh in 2019-20, but only three patients were assisted with Rs 31 lakh in 2021-22, with no support recorded in 2022-23.
Financial Burden on Patients
“Cancer is a battle fought not just against the disease, but against financial ruin. Government assistance is a lifeline, offering hope alongside treatment,” says Noor Din (name changed).
Hailing from Boniyar, Baramulla, he said, “I had to collect money from different places to treat my father. He was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, and despite my efforts, I couldn’t afford his treatment. As a labourer with small children, I struggled to even pay for transportation. Ultimately, we had to abandon the treatment, and my father passed away at home.”
“Without financial support, the burden of cancer treatment becomes unbearable. It leads to both financial and emotional drain. Patients are skipping treatments, and families are sinking into debt, struggling to keep hope alive amidst the mounting bills,” said a PhD scholar from Srinagar, wishing not to be named.
Her mother and grandmother are also suffering from cancer.
She added, “The emotional toll is just as devastating as the financial one. It shatters the whole family watching loved ones suffer while being unable to afford the necessary care is heart-wrenching. The government and community needs to come together to support these families, as no one should have to choose between their health and their financial stability.”
Government Schemes & Lacunae
Dr Lone acknowledged that “the significant financial burden imposed by cancer treatment, particularly chemotherapy and immunotherapy which can cause substantial suffering for patients and be a drain on their pockets.”
He admitted that many poor and underprivileged individuals abandon the treatment midway due to cost constraints. However, he emphasized that there is some support offered by the government and NGOs.
The Cancer Society of Kashmir provides an average Rs 50 lakh worth of drugs to poor and deserving patients every month.
Additionally, there are funds such as the Prime Minister’s Fund, the Cancer Aid Fund, and the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, which provide free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh.
However, a loophole exists: “The patient needs to be admitted, and today we have some huge cost-effective immunotherapy and chemotherapy drugs that virtually treat and cure the patients. But unfortunately, those drugs can’t be availed through the Golden Card. These are tablets and injections and patients don’t need to get admitted to the hospital for these drugs.”
Another scheme, the Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF), has been set up under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) with a corpus fund of Rs 100 crore to provide financial assistance for the treatment of cancer patients living below the poverty line, currently through 27 Regional Cancer Centres across the country recognized by the Government of India.
“Still, this amount is insufficient. But probably the government is likely to increase the amount,” Dr Lone added.
Dependence on Loans & Relatives
However, cancer patients and their families find the existing schemes for financial support limited and insufficient, compelling many to generate funds from family and friends or apply for loans.
Mir Shahid from Sheerwani Pora recounted the devastating impact on his family while his father suffered from CA (Carcinoma) Lung cancer. “The burden of cancer is immense, it can overwhelm even the wealthy, let alone the poor,” Shahid said.
“We tried everything to save my father. There was government support, we borrowed money from our relatives, sold our land, and even took out a bank loan, but it still wasn’t enough,” he added.
His father, a school teacher, lost the battle in 2023 after a valiant two-year struggle. “Unfortunately, the diagnosis came too late, at stage 3, leaving us unprepared and heartbroken,” said Shahid, the eldest of six siblings who now shoulders the immense burden and responsibility.
A 27-year-old Mubashir, who has experienced this devastating situation when he was caught in the grip of the vicious cycle of cancer, loss, survival, and back to loss again, is heart-breaking.
Six years ago, when Mubashir’s mother was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, the family grappled with not just the daunting reality of her disease but also a traumatic past. He was two years old when he lost his father to the dreadful disease.
“Cancer is not only a disease. It is also an emotional and financial drain in life, it leaves you nowhere. It needs lot of money and emotional support. There was some relief from government schemes, by which you can avail of some costly drugs and some effective therapies. But I got more support from my cousins. Despite that, I could not save my mother. She left us alone in 2023,” Mubashir added.
Mubashir knows well what the meagre cancer fund schemes mean for the cancer patients. “They are still a lifeline for those who cannot afford the high costs of treatment. Halting any such scheme will not only affect the patients but also their families, who are now burdened with the overwhelming costs of medicines and other essentials,” he said.
Effective Measures Beyond Schemes
Beyond these schemes, the scale and magnitude of cancer cases in Kashmir demand increased awareness, early detection, and improved diagnostic facilities, said Dr Lone. “Early detection will reduce the burden and bring down the cancer-related fatalities,” he reasoned.
The data on cancer is staggering. Cancer-related fatalities in J&K during 2018–2022 stood at 35,623. The year-wise breakdown is: 6,824 deaths in 2018; 7,003 deaths in 2019; 7,189 deaths in 2020; 7,211 deaths in 2021 and 7,396 deaths in 2022.
Despite the presence of skilled medical professionals, the region grapples with a shortage of essential facilities, revealing a stark gap between the existing infrastructure and the rising cases of cancer, hampering timely diagnosis and treatment and also placing an immense burden on the existing healthcare system, exacerbating the challenges faced by both patients and doctors.
“We have trained medical, radiation, and even surgical oncologists, even the doctor-patient ratio in the Oncology Department is absolutely fine, but we have limited number of beds, and we have only two radiation machines - one in SKIMS Soura and another in SMHS Hospital, which is increasing the waiting time for patients to at least a month,” pointed out Dr Maqbool.
He explained. “According to the 2011 census, the population of Kashmir was above 71 lakh. As per WHO and The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) guidelines, there should be one radiation machine for every 10 lakh people. In this regard, we should have a minimum of seven radiation machines, but we have only two. The infrastructure is low, especially in district hospitals, which also becomes a huge burden on doctors and delays treatment and diagnoses.”
“The lack of inadequate healthcare means “In Kashmir, around 60 to 70% of patients are diagnosed with cancer in the very late stages. They come at 3rd or 4th stage when the disease is no longer curable. In the 3rd stage, we can prolong a patient’s life, and in the 4th stage, we can only provide palliative care to make patients comfortable.”
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