K-P govt’s free cancer programme returns

After a nearly year-long delay, the K-P government has taken a significant step by announcing the resumption of free cancer treatment for patients in the province.

Starting from the following week, cancer patients will receive free medicines at the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), marking the initial phase of the program’s revival. Subsequently, the initiative will extend its reach to provide free medicines to 5,000 patients across the entire province.

An official from the health department told The Express Tribune that all necessary arrangements have been meticulously planned, acknowledging the department’s struggles in providing free medicines to cancer patients over the past year.

The cause of the delay was attributed to the procurement process that was initiated at the beginning of the last fiscal year. However, the government only released funds amounting to Rs275 million at the end of the fiscal year 2022-23 in June. Nevertheless, the department managed to clear its dues, with the remaining Rs34 million being surrendered.

As per official reports, 16 companies participated in the tendering process for the supply of medicines, out of which 14 qualified successfully. Consequently, the supply of medicines has commenced, and officials are conducting thorough inspections of the stock provided. All items cleared by the inspection team will be promptly distributed to hospitals starting from the upcoming week. The initial phase will focus on the Hayatabad Medical Complex, where the provision of free medicines will be reinstated.

It has been confirmed that under this renewed program, cancer patients will be entitled to free medicines for a period of one year. Furthermore, the health department has already begun the procurement process for the following year, ensuring continuous support for cancer patients.

The sudden disruption of the free cancer treatment program in the previous year posed significant hardships for economically disadvantaged patients. One such patient, Gul Rukh Bibi, a 60-year-old resident of Kurram tribal district, faced insurmountable difficulties when the hospital repeatedly failed to provide her daughter’s cancer medication.

Since June, they had been seeking assistance at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, but their pleas went unanswered. The unavailability of medications severely dimmed their hopes of witnessing her daughter’s recovery, and it was heartbreaking for Gul Rukh Bibi to see her daughter’s health deteriorate.

Initially, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic hindered access to medication for many patients. However, the situation worsened when the hospital ran out of essential medicines, leaving patients like Gul Rukh Bibi’s daughter without any lifeline. The government’s provision of free medicines had been their sole hope, as purchasing medication privately was financially unfeasible for them.

According to the HMC Oncology Department, the shortage of medicines persisted since June due to the government’s failure to allocate funds for cancer patients. Consequently, the approximately 9,000 patients registered with the department across K-P suffered greatly.

Beyond the registered patients, there are an additional 35,000 unregistered cancer patients throughout K-P. The statistics revealed that 56% of the total cancer patient population is female, while 44% are male, as per the oncology department.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2023.