Colombo, Oct. 12 (Daily Mirror) - Cancer patients are facing a severe financial burden as the unavailability of certain medicines in government hospitals forces them to purchase drugs from outside pharmacies, with some patients spending more than Rs. 100,000 a month, a doctors’ trade union leader has warned.
Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, Chairman of the Medical and Civil Rights Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance, said patients undergoing long-term cancer treatment were struggling to afford medicines that were not available through the state healthcare system.
He said the situation had placed patients and their families under immense financial pressure, forcing them to balance the cost of essential medicines against household expenses and the needs of their children.
Dr. Sanjeewa also raised concerns that some medicines purchased from outside pharmacies were not registered in Sri Lanka, potentially adding to patients’ concerns over the availability and reliability of their treatment.
He questioned the difficulties faced by patients who depend on government hospitals for treatment but are compelled to seek expensive alternatives when essential medicines are unavailable.
Calling for urgent intervention, Dr. Sanjeewa urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to ensure that medicines required by cancer patients were promptly procured and supplied through the Medical Supplies Division.
He said urgent action was needed to prevent vulnerable patients from being pushed into further financial hardship while undergoing life-saving treatment.