When the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for the Poor (CTMFFP) was halted in Kashmir in 2024, hundreds of underprivileged cancer patients were pushed into despair. The centrally sponsored scheme had long served as a lifeline for poor families battling the high costs of cancer treatment.
Manzoor Ahmad Ganei, 45, is one among many affected. Diagnosed with cancer eight months ago, Manzoor’s life took a devastating turn. Since then, his family has been moving him from one hospital to another in a desperate attempt to save his life. The mounting medical expenses forced the family to sell their farm, cattle, and household belongings. “Our financial condition is completely unstable. For his treatment, we sold everything,” said a relative. “He urgently needs government support. Without financial assistance, he will not survive.”
With no stable source of income left, the family now struggles to afford even basic treatment. They have appealed to the government and non-profit organisations to intervene and help Manzoor receive timely medical care.
As hope from official channels faded, villagers and family members turned to social media, seeking donations to fund his treatment. “The government had earlier launched centrally sponsored schemes for cancer patients, but we have not received any benefit,” a family member said.
What is CTMFFP?
The Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for the Poor (CTMFFP) operates under India’s Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and supports the Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF). The programme provides financial assistance for costly treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to cancer patients living below the poverty line, through government hospitals and Regional Cancer Centres.
Eligible patients can receive assistance of up to ₹15 lakh, subject to income verification and approval through hospital authorities. Similar support mechanisms also exist at the state level in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure access to care for vulnerable populations suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
Lifeline Scheme Halted, Patients on the Brink
For years, CTMFFP has been a critical support system for poor cancer patients in the region. However, disbursements in Jammu and Kashmir have sharply declined.
Available records show that 88 patients received ₹430.10 lakh in 2019–20, while only three patients received ₹31 lakh in 2021–22. No assistance was provided during 2022–23, and in 2024, the scheme was completely halted, leaving hundreds of families unable to afford treatment.
Highlighting the crisis, Legislative Assembly member M.Y. Tarigami took to social media, stating, ” Amid the ballooning number of cancer cases in J&K, the financial assistance provided to patients under the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for the Poor (CTMFFP) has been halted since July 2024, leaving poor patients struggling to afford treatment. I urge Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to expedite clearance of pending cases and ensure adequate funds are allocated to support these patients.”
Cancer is killing 300 times more people than conflict in J&K.
Cancer: 67,000 deaths in 5 years
Conflict: 67,000 deaths in 30 years
“The biggest battles are often the ones we don’t see. Families, especially the poor, are forced to sell land and assets to seek treatment outside Kashmir because local hospitals are over burden or lack capacity. This is health and governance crisis that cannot be ignored, @CM_JnK. Government needs to address this crisis,” says, Waheed Rehman, Legislator of Pulwama.
Limited Screening, Acute Shortage of PET Scans
Despite a sharp rise in cancer cases, Kashmir has only two PET scan facilities, a severe constraint for diagnosis and monitoring. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a crucial imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to create detailed images of organs and tissues in action, helping detect cancer early and assess treatment response.
However, under the Union Budget 2025–26, the Union government has approved the establishment of over 200 Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) across the country to strengthen cancer care infrastructure, offering some hope for improved access in the region.
Experts Raise Alarm Over Rising Cancer Burden
Renowned oncologist Dr Shabnam Bashir, Director of Surgical Oncology at Paras Health Srinagar, has termed the situation “deeply disturbing” and stressed the urgent need for enhanced screening, early detection programmes, and improved cancer care infrastructure across Kashmir. Dr Bashir said that over the last decade, Jammu and Kashmir—especially the Kashmir Valley—has witnessed a significant rise in cancer cases due to multiple inter-related factors.
“High tobacco and substance use, including cigarette smoking, beedis, hukkahs, tobacco chewing, and naswar, are major contributors. Smoking alone is responsible for nearly 30 per cent of all cancers, and it also increases the aggressiveness of the disease,” she said.
She also pointed to lifestyle changes such as sedentary behaviour, obesity, and urbanisation. “Reduced physical activity and rising obesity are well-recognised risk factors for cancers such as breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and endometrial cancer,” she added.
Diet, Pollution, and Indoor Smoke Add to Risk
Dr Bashir expressed serious concern over unhealthy dietary patterns prevalent in the region. “The excessive consumption of traditional high-salt foods like noon chai (pink tea), pickled and smoked foods, and high intake of red and processed meat have been linked to gastrointestinal cancers in this region,” she said, citing regional and international studies.
She further noted that indoor smoke exposure during winters, caused by the use of kangris, bukharies, and biomass fuel, increases exposure to carcinogenic particulates linked to lung and bladder cancers. Plastic pollution and chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) may also contribute to the growing cancer risk.
Cancer Cases Continue to Rise
Data reveals that Kashmir has recorded an average of 38 new cancer cases per day, amounting to over 67,000 cases in the last five years. According to figures released by the Union Health Ministry, 14,112 cases were reported in 2024 alone, bringing the five-year total to 67,037 cases.
At Kashmir’s leading tertiary hospital, the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), patients queue up daily for registration, reflecting the overwhelming burden on the healthcare system.
As cancer cases continue to surge, patients, doctors, and families alike stress that without timely financial aid, better screening, and stronger infrastructure, Kashmir’s cancer crisis will only deepen—leaving its poorest patients with little hope for survival.
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