Funds delay at KSSSCI hits cancer care

Lucknow: The funds to be allocated to the Kalyan Singh Super Speciality Cancer Institute (KSSSCI) under the Asadhya Rog Yojana for free treatment of cancer patients from economically week background has not been released by the state administration in the financial year 2026-27 because the institute has not submitted full details of fund utilzation in the previous fiscal.

As a result, treatment of around 144 patients registered in the scheme is pending. The scheme provides free treatment to patients with an annual family income below Rs 1 lakh and suffering from serious illnesses, including cancer. The institute has asked for Rs 6 crore for the current financial year, but has not received any funds so far. As a result, no fresh registrations are being been done.

Patients said the delay is treatment is agonising. A patient, fom Sultanpur, said his palate cancer surgery is pending, while a breast cancer patient from Ayodhya said she had been staying in the city for treatment since long.

When contacted, officials of the medical education department said that the institute has not submitted the details of the fund utilisation in 2025-26 and list of beneficiaries, hence fresh budget has not been released.

Institute’s spokesperson Dr Vijay Varun said utilisation certificates have been submitted and the beneficiary list will be provided soon.