JAMMU, June 16: More than 100 cases of chronic cancer disease were reported during the past five years in the bordering Samba district of Jammu region.
As per official figures issued by the office of the Chief Medical Officer, Samba, assessed by the UNI, from the period 2014 till March 31, 2019, as many as 110 cases of cancer have been reported in different parts of the district.
“The figures were revealed by the Health Department against the RTI filed by a NGO under RTI Act 2009, seeking year-wise details of number of people with cancer and kidney related diseases in Samba during last five years upto March 31, 2019,” official sources here said.
However, as per the figures, submitted by the Block Medical Officers to the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Samba, in 2014, number of cancer patients were 10, in 2015, the figure was 20, in 2016, the figure was 10, in 2017 and 2018, it was 27 and 31 respectively while till March 31, 2019, number of cases diagnosed were 12.
The official however, has replied that the major causes of rising number of cancer disease are exposure to various chemical and physical agents, environmental pollutants, injections and radiations.
Meanwhile it was further replied that the cases of Kidney related disease also diagnosed in this period and from 2014 till March 31, 2019, in total 22 cases were reported officially.
The official said that in 2014, nil kidney related diseases was reported while in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, as per figures, 2, 5, 4 and 10 cases were diagnosed respectively and till March this year, a single case has been reported in the district.
“Increased cases of diabetes, high blood pressure, Nephrotic syndrome, UTI, illegal drugs and drug abuse are among the major causes of kidney diseases,” they added.
Renowned Oncologist of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Deepak Abrol said, “in 2014, around 1800 cases of cancer were diagnosed in the State region but the number swelled to 2400 in 2018.”
“Cancer cases were already there but due to non diagnosis, they were not being reported anywhere in records,” said the Oncologist.
He further added, “people have started visiting to various cancer centres established in parts of the State and besides that, awareness drives and camps, launched time to time by the Health Department through different mediums, people visit for regular health check-ups and in these camps, cancer diseases cases were also diagnosed.”
In Kathua, Rajouri, Anantnag and Baramulla, the Government has appointed Oncologists to treat such cases, he said and added, “the Government has also several beneficial schemes for the cancer patients for their treatment.” (UNI)
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