Patients unaware of free cancer medication

CHITWAN, Oct 13: Like several blood cancer patients in Nepal, Bindu Pariyar is unaware about the free medication available at the Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan. She was diagnosed with the incurable disease, which requires medication for her entire life, four years back. Pariyar sought treatment at the BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital and also in New Delhi and eventually stopped medication because it was too expensive. [break]



Free medical provision at the hospital has been made possible by Norvatis, an American pharmaceutical company which has been sending supplies for the past six years.



While the negative aspect of the disease is that patients need to continue medication throughout life, but the positive aspect is that free medication is available, commented the executive director of the hospital, Dr Bhaktaman Shrestha.



The medicine, however, is only meant for one type of blood cancer, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). Patients need to produce necessary documents of their economic status in order to qualify for free medication.



According to the hospital, Norvatis sends Rs 250 million worth of medicine per year and 246 patients have been receiving assistance so far. “We have been urging other hospitals to send patients to us but we are still lacking in spreading awareness,” said Shrestha.

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