2 SCIs emerging as mainstays of cancer treatment in J&K

Srinagar, Feb 13: State Cancer Institute (SCI) Jammu and SCI Kashmir are emerging as the mainstays of cancer diagnosis and treatment in J&K, catering to the major burden of cancer cases here.

In the past two years, approximately 16,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed at the two SCIs, even while they remain incomplete in terms of manpower and infrastructure, the government said on Friday.

The details pertaining to cancer infrastructure and manpower in J&K’s SCIs were revealed by the government in response to questions raised by legislator Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed Pardesi.

The starred question demanded clarification as to why the SCI was set up without adequate medical, paramedical, and technical posts.

The shortfalls, Pardesi said, was leading to inconveniences for patients and compromising cancer care.

The government said that SCI Jammu was being made operational in phased manner from February 2023.

It said staff creation for this tertiary care cancer institute was already sanctioned by J&K government in 2021.

For SCI Kashmir (SKIMS Soura), the government has said the 100-bedded hospital was established with central funding under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).

It received a sanctioned grant of Rs 120 crore exclusively for infrastructure.

Commissioned on December 5, 2020, the development remains ongoing.

The government has acknowledged that approximately 80 percent of the SCI Kashmir is currently functional through manpower deployed from the main SKIMS Soura hospital.

It said that a proposal for dedicated staff, including doctors, nursing, paramedical, technical, and supportive roles was under active consideration of the government.

“It will be modeled after the SCI in Jammu,” the government said.

The Health and Medical Education Department said that the number of cancer cases was rising at 7.49 percent, and attributed the rise to “improved diagnostics”.

“The rise cannot be interpreted as the actual rise in cancer cases,” the government said.

The department has said that epidemiological research was required to establish causality.

In the past three years, 2023-2025, 11,178 people have been diagnosed with cancer at SCI Kashmir. In SCI Jammu, 4775 cancer cases were detected in 2024 and 2025.

The government said that GMC Srinagar was also catering to the needs of cancer detection and treatment.

From 2022 to 2025, 6016 patients have been registered at this medical college for cancer treatment.

To manage the growing patient load and reduce waiting times, the government said it was actively expanding services.

It provided “substantial rise in PET scans at SKIMS, from 1410 in 2024 to 2250 in 2025” as evidence of the expansion.

It also said that GMC Srinagar was providing comprehensive cancer treatments, including therapies, surgeries, and essential tests like MRI, CT, and USG.

The administrative approval for procuring a new PET Scan machine for GMC Srinagar at an estimated cost of Rs 16ncrore through the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) has been applauded as a step to mitigate suffering of cancer patients.