Going the extra mile: CM kicks off second phase of free cancer treatment drive
The new phase is targeted at patients suffering from leukemia.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has approved the second phase of the free cancer treatment programme for another three years, stated a handout issued on Saturday from the CM Secretariat. The new phase is targeted at patients suffering from leukemia.
According to the handout, Khattak kicked off the programme during a meeting chaired at the CM secretariat in Peshawar. He allocated Rs600 million to begin the second phase and approved a new drug to make the programme more effective.
Khattak lamented that in the previous phase of the programme, health officials had administered single drug oral medication to patients. However, it was not effective as nearly 25% patients did not respond well to the medicine. On the special directives of the chief minister, a new drug has been introduced which is likely to have 85% chances of success, the handout read.
A Switzerland-based pharmacy will supply the new drug after the inauguration of the second phase in November.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2014.