Srinagar, Aug 31: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has revised the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for Poor Patients (CTMFP), enhancing financial assistance for eligible cancer patients, widening the income eligibility criteria and allowing beneficiaries to receive assistance on up to three occasions.
The changes have been approved through Government Order No. 1456-JK(GAD) of 2026, issued by the General Administration Department.
Under the revised provisions, cancer patients belonging to families with an annual income of up to Rs 3 lakh will be eligible for financial assistance of Rs 75,000. Those with an annual family income above Rs 3 lakh and up to Rs 4 lakh will be entitled to assistance of Rs 50,000.
The government has replaced the earlier monthly family income criterion of Rs 20,000 with an annual family income ceiling of Rs 4 lakh.
The revised scheme also permits eligible beneficiaries to receive financial assistance a maximum of three times. Each subsequent sanction will be admissible only after 365 days from the immediately preceding sanction and will be subject to submission of a fresh medical certificate confirming continuation of treatment, the latest income certificate and a certificate regarding admissibility of the proposed assistance.
Patients who have already received the existing one-time assistance under the scheme will also be eligible for second and third sanctions under the revised income slabs, provided they meet the prescribed conditions.
The government has further streamlined the disbursement mechanism by making Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mandatory. Bank account details, Aadhaar number and contact details of the patient will have to be furnished while forwarding each case.
The sanctioned assistance will be transferred directly to the beneficiary’s bank account through the concerned Deputy Commissioner. Deputy Commissioners have been directed to ensure that the amount is credited within 72 hours of the release of funds by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
The revised order has also doubled the specified allocations under the scheme’s source-of-funding provisions, replacing the existing figures of Rs 240, Rs 120, Rs 20 and Rs 10 with Rs 480, Rs 240, Rs 40 and Rs 20, respectively.
The scope of eligible treatment facilities has also been expanded to include all government hospitals, government medical colleges and other government institutions providing cancer treatment. Private hospitals registered, recognised and empanelled by the Jammu and Kashmir or Union governments under the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY SEHAT scheme will also be covered.
The CTMFP was launched in 2010 to support economically weaker cancer patients and facilitate early detection and treatment. While a substantial portion of inpatient cancer care is now covered under the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY SEHAT scheme, patients continue to incur expenses related to outpatient treatment, diagnostics, medicines and other requirements.
The revised provisions are aimed at complementing existing health insurance coverage and reducing the financial burden on low- and middle-income families undergoing cancer treatment.
