ISLAMABAD – Not a single hospital in government sector across the country provides complete treatment for any kind of cancer one major reason for which is the failure of the health ministry to devise a comprehensive national plan to counter the deadly disease.
Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide and, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it accounted for 7.9 million deaths (around 13 percent of all deaths) in 2007. Lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancer cause the most deaths each year. About 72 percent of all cancer deaths occur in low and middle income countries which lack awareness and treatment.
Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue rising with an estimated 12 million deaths in 2030 while about 30 percent of cancer deaths can be prevented through proper treatment. In Pakistan, very little has been done by the government to fight the deadly disease and no official record is available across the country to monitor the exact data of cancer cases.
However, according to the WHO, 100,000 people die of cancer every year in Pakistan. Professor Dr Shugufta Hussain, pathologist at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), told Pakistan Today that there were different categories of treatment like prevention, early detection, diagnosis and palliative care.
“Surgery is the cheapest treatment while radiation is costly as each patient has to pay Rs 2.4 million a month for injections like herceptic,” she said. She added the ministry had failed to tackle the fatal disease for lack of funds whereas poor patients preferred to die as the treatment expenses were beyond the reach of the common man.
She said, “Not even a single government hospital is providing 100 percent free treatment and diagnosis for the poor.” She added the expanses of diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer were Rs 10 to Rs 15 million whereas lung cancer cost Rs 8 million to Rs 10 million, so the poor masses living from hand to mouth could not even think of opting for treatment.
Tobacco is the single largest cause of cancer in the world today. It causes 80 percent to 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths and about 30 percent of all cancer deaths in developing countries. With this dismal scenario in Pakistan, the World Cancer Day 2011 was observed on Friday to create awareness among the masses about ways and means to prevent the deadly disease.
