There is no policy to provide free treatment to patients suffering from serious ailments like heart problem, cancer, kidney and lever transplant in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, there are two schemes in operation in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat to provide financial assistance to patients suffering from serious ailments in the state, Minister for Health and Medical Education Bali Bhagat said in reply to a question by Surinder Kumar Choudhary in the Legislative Council.
The Member wanted to know if there was any policy to provide free treatment to patients suffering from serious ailment and how much funds the Government has sanctioned so far for these patients.
However, the reply said that there is no such policy in the state. On whether any survey was conducted to identify cancer patients in the State, the reply said no such survey has been undertaken in the state so far.
However, the Department of Oncology is in correspondence with the National Population Based Cancer Registry Programme of India for conducting door-to-door survey to identify the cancer patients in the state. On the question how many cases are pending for sanction of compensation, the Minister said that Department of Health and Medical Education does not sanction any compensation for treatment of cancer, kidnay, liver transplant. However, there are two schemes in operation in the CM’s Secretariat to provide financial assistance to patients suffering from serious ailments.
The reply said the medical assistance is sanctioned on the basis of a medical certificate issued by the Medical Institute or Hospital duly countersigned by the Head of the Department (HOD), specially indicating the disease and cost of treatment, income certificate issued by the concerned tehsildar and the cases should also be recommended by the Deputy Commissioner concerned .
The government has constituted four member committee headed by Chief Secretary to study the cases and recommend them for medical assistance.
No free treatment for serious ailments in JK
