As part of a public-private partnership, 741 patients will benefit from the first phase on a first-come, first-served basis
Mustafa Kamal. Photo: FILE
As many as 741 cancer patients from Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan will receive free medicines worth nearly Rs 10 million each in the first phase of a five-year public-private partnership initiative.
The Ministry of National Health Services on Friday signed an agreement with the multinational pharmaceutical company Roche for the supply of the drugs. Under the agreement, the Government of Pakistan will contribute Rs 1 million per patient, while Roche will cover the remaining Rs 9 million.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Federal Health Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh said patients from Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan would benefit from this initiative. He added that the partnership will last for five years, during which thousands of cancer patients are expected to receive treatment.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said the facility would be available at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for eligible patients from the three regions. He noted that 13 million Pakistanis have fallen below the poverty line due to the disease, while cancer treatment alone costs nearly Rs 9.8 million per patient over a five-year period.
The minister added that patients suffering from lung, liver and breast cancer would be treated under this initiative. He stressed that health care reform includes both treatment and prevention of diseases, including the provision of clean water, and praised the Prime Minister’s leadership for continued improvements in the health sector. He said cancer devastates entire families and this initiative aims to ease the financial and emotional burden of patients across the country.
