DAP Lawmaker: Cancer fund needed

KUALA LUMPUR: A lawmaker has called on the government to set up a national cancer fund.
Highlighting the plight of many cancer patients who have to cope with the rising costs of cancer medication and treatment, Charles Santiago (DAP-Klang) said the government should help address the problem.
"Some are forced to sell their homes, jewellery and other assets in order to purchase these medicines. Others see their lifetime savings deplete drastically or simply vanish.
"In fact, as a result of financial constraints, families are making the painful decision of stopping their children from going to school in order to take care of the parents," he told a press conference here today.
He reiterated that a National Cancer Medicines Fund would allow poor families to purchase cancer medicine at a cheaper cost.
Santiago said statistics showed that one in nine women and one in 10 men will suffer from cancer by the age of 75.
According to the Health Ministry at least 100,000 Malaysians suffer from cancer at any given time and these numbers are predicted to increase by 54% in 2025.
Santiago said that according to Hospis Kuala Lumpur, a colon cancer patient has to pay RM8,700 for 30 pills every month.
"And this cocktail of medicine has to be taken for 17 months or up to two years, depending on the gravity of the illness," he said.
Santiago said Malaysia could model its National Cancer Medicines Fund on the United Kingdom's experience with the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) project, which would benefit Malaysians.