-CM says govt will establish cancer health facilities in the public sector, will subsidise treatment expenditures in hospitals being operated as welfare institutions
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday has said that the treatment of cancer patients was very costly and unaffordable for the poor patients in the private sector; therefore, his government is working hard to establish cancer health facilities in the public sector and is also subsidizing treatment expenditures in the hospitals being operated as welfare institutions.
He said this while talking to a delegation of Cancer Foundation led by its Chairman Maqsood Ansari. The delegation also included Engineer Haji Nazim, Surgeon Abid Jamal. Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro and Secretary Health Saeed Awan.
The chief minister was informed that 40 Radiation machines in Karachi are required to meet the needs of the patients but there are only a few available. Therefore, the patients were waiting for one to two months in welfare hospitals.
The chief minister said that his government in partnership with philanthropist and JPMC administration has established the CyberKnife Center for cancer patients at JPMC.
He added that the center was functioning successfully.
CM Shah said that his government was also financially supporting various health facilities engaged in serving poor patients with the support of philanthropists.
He assured the Cancer Foundation that he would support them in the purchase of Bonemaro Transplant (BMT) machines. The BMT installed in Down Hospital was a great support to the poor patients.
In the meeting, it was pointed out that the treatment of a poor cancer patient cost 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 arpond Rs200,000.
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 the health secretary and the Foundation to meet the finance secretary and purchase some radiation machines for poor cancer patients.
“We are committed with the people of the province and would provide them free of cost treatment to the cancer patients,” he said and added that on the pattern of NICVD cancer hospitals would be established in different districts of the province.
BUHRA JAMAAT DELEGATION MEETS CM:
A delegation of Dawoodi Bohra Jamaat led by Kumail Younis met with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House and invited him to visit their Crest of Al-Jamea-tus-Saifiya at North Nazimabad which the chief minister accepted.
