HMC diagnoses 5,000 Cancer patients

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) has provided free treatment to 5,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients and registering more than 1,000 new patients each year, said Professor Abid Jamil during the observance of World Cancer Day at the hospital on Monday.

Medical Oncology ward at MTI/HMC Peshawar, organized an awareness program in this regard aimed at providing details of its efforts towards proving free treatment to Cancer patients. As 4th February is observed as World Cancer Day every year to show solidarity with patients suffering from this deadly disease.

Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr Farooq Jamil who was chief guest on the occasion in his address eulogized HMC for its valuable services to Cancer patients. He assured the continuation of poor cancer patients free treatment of program and along with insurance of functional up-gradation on Oncology services in HMC.

Earlier, Prof Shahzad Akber Medical Director HMC Peshawar in his address gave an overview of latest diagnostic and treatment facilities being provided by the hospital to patients.

Professor Abid Jamil presented the data of patients treated since 2014 at HMC Peshawar. So far more than 5,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients have been provided free treatment. More than 1,000 new patients are registered each year at HMC. This includes patients with blood, Breast, Prostate, Stomach Intestinal and Lung Cancer.

Under the cost sharing program with pharmaceutical company Novartis, he informed that patients are being treated since 2012 at a cost of approximately Rs. 20.00 billion. Provincial government has contributed Rs. 1.86 billion while Novartis has contributed Rs. 17.73 billion so far. As around 80 per cent patients are alive at over five-year from diagnosis, he added.

He stated that over half of the patients diagnosed and treated belong to young age group ranging from 25 to 50 years. Patients coming for free treatment represent all part of KP and 53 per cent are male while 47 percent among them are female. Monthly income of over 80 per cent of patients treated in this project was below Rs. 22000, he said.

Thus this project is helping young patients with very low incomes to regain their lives and be useful members of society. Professor Abid Jamil who is the focal person of the project said for cancer patients this free treatment program is not just a project but it is a matter of life and death to them.

He hoped that the government will extend this project in the coming year in order for patients to continue receiving free cancer treatment.