KARACHI:Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the treatment of cancer patients was costly and unaffordable for the poor patients in the private sector, and his government wants to establish cancer health facilities in public sector.
This he said on Monday while talking to a delegation of Cancer Foundation led by its Chairman Maqsood Ansari. Others in the delegation were Engineer Haji Nazim, Surgeon Abid Jamal. The chief minister was told that there was a requirement of 40 radiation machines in welfare hospitals of Karachi but hardly a few are available.
The chief minister said that his government in partnership of philanthropist and JPMC administration has established Cyber Knife Center for cancer patients at JPMC. He added that the center was functioning successfully.
Shah said that his government was also financially supporting to various health facilities engaged in serving poor patients with the support of philanthropists. He assured the Cancer Foundation he would support them in purchase of Bonemaro Transplant (BMT) machines.
In the meeting it was pointed out that the treatment of a cancer patient costs around Rs1.2 million in private hospitals. These expenditures were beyond the approach of poor patients. Therefore, the welfare hospitals with the support of the philanthropists and Sindh government were subsidizing to Rs200,000, but even then it was difficult for poor patients to afford.
It was also disclosed that the private hospitals were charging Rs7000 for radiation while these expenditures were again subsidized to Rs1000 in welfare hospitals. The chief minister directed Secretary Health and Cancer Foundation to meet with secretary finance and purchase some radiation machines for poor cancer patients.