Cancer cases are growing alarmingly. According to the WHO, Bangladesh had recorded 1,67,256 cases of cancer patients in 2022, of whom 1,16,598 succumbed to the deadly disease. The facts and figures show that both the cancer cases and deaths are on the rise, and it is feared that the country will have 3,47,783 cancer patients in 2050.
Sadly, cancer treatment remains largely centralised in Dhaka, posing significant challenges for patients in remote rural areas seeking long-term care. Government hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, while treatment costs in private facilities are exorbitant. A PET CT scan, for instance, costs between 65,000 to 70,000 taka in private hospitals, half the price in government facilities but with long waiting periods. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are prohibitively expensive.
According to a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Research (BIDS), the average out-of-pocket expenditure for treating a cancer patient in Bangladesh is Tk 5,47,840. Poor patients struggle to afford these costs, exacerbated by irregularities and corruption in accessing free medicines in government hospitals.
In this respect establishment of a national cancer fund to provide free treatment to the poor and decentralisation of treatment facilities nationwide can reduce the inequality in cancer treatment. Additionally, enhancing palliative care services is crucial to alleviating suffering of cancer patients.
Nahida Nishi
A conscious citizen
Dhaka
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
