Key Facts
Chennai: PMK founder S Ramadoss on Sunday urged the central government to take immediate steps to ensure affordable cancer drugs amid a severe shortage and price hike of key chemotherapy medicines. In a statement, he highlighted the critical shortage of Cisplatin and Carboplatin, widely used in cancer treatment across India.
Details of the Appeal
Ramadoss expressed grave concern over the central government's decision to allow pharmaceutical companies to raise prices to mitigate the shortage. He said, 'The severe shortage of Cisplatin and Carboplatin, vital chemotherapy drugs widely used in cancer treatment across the country, is a matter of grave concern. The central government's decision to permit pharmaceutical companies to raise prices to mitigate this shortage clearly indicates an official acknowledgement of the crisis.'
While acknowledging that fair pricing for manufacturers is essential to improve drug quality and boost production, Ramadoss emphasized that the government must simultaneously safeguard the livelihoods of poor and middle-class patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Impact on Patients
'Every year, lakhs of people in India are diagnosed with cancer, and a vast majority of them rely on government hospitals for treatment,' he noted. He claimed that 'countless families are already trapped in debt due to medical expenses and under these circumstances, any hike in the price of chemotherapy drugs threatens to impose an unbearable financial burden on patients and their families.'
What Ramadoss Demanded
- Provide Cisplatin, Carboplatin, and all other essential chemotherapy drugs at highly subsidised rates to both central and state government hospitals in required quantities.
- Formulate a special scheme to provide these life-saving medicines completely free of cost to poor and economically disadvantaged patients.
- Ensure that the full cost of these medicines is covered under public healthcare insurance schemes, including Ayushman Bharat and Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Schemes.
- Strengthen the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's price and distribution monitoring mechanisms to prevent exploitation.
- Guarantee uninterrupted availability of these drugs across all cancer treatment centers, down to the district government hospital level.
What Readers Should Know
The shortage and price hike of chemotherapy drugs pose a serious threat to cancer patients, especially those from economically weaker sections. The government's response will be crucial in ensuring that treatment remains accessible and affordable. Patients and their families should stay informed about insurance coverage and government schemes that may help reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ramadoss appeal to the Centre?
Due to severe shortage and price hike of chemotherapy drugs Cisplatin and Carboplatin, which are vital for cancer treatment.
What measures did Ramadoss suggest?
He suggested subsidized rates for government hospitals, free drugs for poor patients, coverage under Ayushman Bharat and state insurance schemes, and stronger NPPA monitoring.
What is the role of NPPA?
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority should strengthen price and distribution monitoring to prevent exploitation of patients.