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Tuesday March 19, 2024

KP govt to continue free cancer treatment project

By Mushtaq Yusufzai
September 23, 2017

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has again decided to continue one of the poor patients-friendly projects and agreed to provide free treatment to the cancer patients of the province as well as the adjoining tribal areas.

In 2011, the coalition governments of Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party in KP had signed an agreement with pharmaceutical company, Novartis and agreed to provide free drugs to the cancer patients under a public private partnership.

Under the agreement, the government was supposed to purchase two months of treatment for the first three years while Novartis agreed to provide the rest of 10 months treatment free of cost to the patients.

Prof Dr Abid Jameel, head of Medical Oncology Department of Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), was then appointed focal person for the project.

Providing free drugs to the cancer patients, the KP government spent Rs1.4 billion while the drug manufacturing firm used Rs14.1 billion since then on provision of free drugs.

To arrange funds for much-publicised Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), this year, the KP government cut budget of most of the projects but not only agreed to continue provision of free drugs to cancer patients but also raised the amount by 10 per cent. From next year, as per agreement, the provincial government will increase its share up to 20 per cent.

Prof Abid Jameel and his team invited some of the patients and their attendants to a function on Friday to celebrate the World Cancer Day. They wanted to show to the media how the poor patients were being facilitated by the project.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had committed to attend the function as chief guest but he didn’t turn up there and reportedly instead went to Banigala in Islamabad to attend a meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Health Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai chaired the meeting and announced continuation of the project.

He appreciated efforts of Prof Abid Jameel and his team and assured them of full government support in their cause.

“Prof Abid Jameel and his team are doing an excellent job. As per demand of Prof Abid Jameel and Sahibzada Saeed, the KP government will provide all supportive drugs to the cancer patients free of cost,” said Shahram Tarakai.

The minister said the KP government recruited 10,000 doctors in four years and now doctors were available even in the remote districts of the province.

Sahibzada Saeed, chairman Board of Governors of HMC, said majority of the cancer patients were too poor to afford the costly treatment.  He said it was in recognition of the work by Prof Abid Jameel and his department that the BoG decided to start massive renovation work in his department.

Prof Abid Jameel explained the project. He said as per WHO, cancer is the second major killer after heart attack, all over the world.

By 2040-50, he said cancer will become the biggest killer and will replace heart attack.

In KP, he said every year 5000 to 6000 people are diagnosed with cancer. He said 1,876 cancer patients were registered with them for getting free treatment under the project.

As per agreement, in 2018-19, funds for free cancer drugs would be increased to Rs470 million.

The oncologist said 90 per cent of patients getting free cancer treatment were living a healthy life.

Peshawar with 228 cancer patients is on top in terms of reporting majority of cancer patients, followed by Mardan with 144 patients.

In Fata, Bajaur and Khyber tribal regions were on top in the list of cancer patients.

It is worth mentioning here that the PTI leadership in KP had initially made up its mind to close the project as it was named after Begum Nusrat Bhutto Oncology Services.

However, the government released funds after its nomenclature was changed from Begum Nusrat Bhutto Oncology Services to Project for Access to Cancer Treatment.