Cancer patients from Punjab, who are undergoing treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, have a reason to celebrate now, as the institute has decided to buy lifesaving cancer drugs supplied by it under the private grants scheme of the Punjab Government under a new contract.
The new contract will ensure that the life saving cancer drugs are supplied at a rate lower than that available in any pharmacy once the new tender is circulated for the same.
The Pioneer investigated the matter and had carried a story on May 21, which highlighted the discrepancy in distribution of medicine by the PGI dispensary under the private grant scheme.
It was found that, a medicine used by cancer patients, veenat-400 has a maximum retail price of Rs 2,665 for a strip of ten tablets and after discount the PGI dispensary, run under the private grant scheme, provides the medicine for Rs 1900, but the same medicine is available for Rs 800-Rs 1,000 in any other pharmacy in the PGI.
The results clearly showed that the drug is being available to the patients at a much higher price by the PGI dispensary. A sum of around Rs 1.5 lakhs is given by the State Government to cancer patients for treatment.
Under these circumstances, there are many poor families for whom grants are of great importance and with medicine priced higher than the market; PGI dispensary is only assuring the quick depletion of the private grant funds, pushing the patient party in a difficult position.
However, the tertiary care institute has now decided to float tenders for new contracts, especially for the procurement of life saving cancer drugs. In this contract the clause of 28 per cent discount on cancer drugs will be lifted and the drugs will be provided at the lowest price available in the market.
Cancer patients from Punjab will reap major benefit from this new contract because in the new contract around 300-400 cancer drugs are listed, which will be made available to the patients at the lowest possible rates.