On the World Cancer Day, J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has stressed the need for creating more awareness about the disease and its symptoms to ensure its early detection and treatment. The CM revealed that the disease has seen a rise in the last seven years. In a written reply to a question in the ongoing session of Legislative Assembly, health minister Bali Bhagat admitted that there was an increase in the cancer cases in the state, especially in the Valley. According to the data provided by Bhagat, 3,075 cancer cases were reported in 2011, 3,288 in 2012, 3,157 in 2013, 3,940 in 2014 and 4,257 in 2015. In a welcome statement, the minister every effort was being made by the government to help the needy cancer patients living below poverty line. Such patients, he said, are being given free investigation, anti-cancer drugs at subsidised rates at least”.
While this effort cannot but be appreciated, cancer needs more pro-active handling from the state government. In addition to welcome allocation of resources for the treatment, there is an urgent need to investigate the reasons for the sudden increase in the number of cancers in the state. People need to know as to what has changed in the state that has led to the spread of cancer. It is a pity that our major healthcare institutions have been unable to put into public domain credible research about the causes for growing incidence of cancer in the state. Such studies will be immensely helpful as it will persuade people to take due precautions to reduce their vulnerability to the disease. The public awareness that the CM has talked about will flow from this.
Having said that, a 2012 SKIMS study blames the growing incidence of cancers to food habits and life style patterns as also to the consumption of the high salt content foods. Many dyes, used in industries and sometimes in foods, are also thought to act as human carcinogens. And some of these dyes, like carmoisine and tartazine, have been found to be used as a coloring agent in many edibles, spices and condiments in Kashmir.
In recent years, food contamination and the adulteration has emerged as a major issue in Kashmir. Hazardous agents have been found to have been used even in the food products of some major corporate houses. Sadly, J&K Government has so far done little about the growing food adulteration in the state, which has now been proven to be one of the factors leading to rise in cases of cancer in Valley. The rise in cancers is, therefore, a wake-up call. The government has to get cracking on the unscrupulous traders and expose the use of chemicals and dyes in the food. And at least, to start with, there has to be a campaign to create more awareness of the ways in which our food is adulterated.
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