Producing affordable drugs underscored

Renowned child specialist National Professor Dr M R Khan Friday urged the pharmaceutical companies to manufacture and supply low-cost effective anti-cancer drugs to help out cancer patients, as oncologists from home and abroad at a conference cited rising risks of the killer disease.
Citing World Health Organisation (WHO) findings, speakers said there are 1.2 million cancer patients in Bangladesh and every year 0.2 million new ones are joining them.
But, for lack of medical facilities and awareness, 60 per cent of the total cancer patients remained out of treatment.
WHO also says there are only 15 to 20 such hospitals or service centres in the country against a requirement of 150 for such huge population.
Dr M R Khan said the pharmaceutical firms need to play a pioneering role in enabling the cancer patients to buy the anti-cancer drugs at affordable prices.
"For this the companies need to supply the drugs at much lower rate than the market price," he said, adding that the neighbouring countries sell anti-cancer drugs at 25 to 50 percent lower rate than the international price.
Mr Khan also called for taking initiative to set up more cancer hospitals with modern treatment facilities under public and private initiative to improve the cancer-treatment quality in Bangladesh.
Dr Khan made the request while addressing as chief guest the inaugural session of Bangladesh Cancer Congress 2014 at Radisson Blue Water Garden Hotel in the city.
SAARC Federation of Oncologists Bangladesh chapter has organized the two-day meet to increase the medical knowledge in the field among the oncologists-incidentally, in the wake of increasing number of cases of cancer in the country.
Around 450 participants, including 20 foreign delegates, are taking part in the conference.
Bangladesh Oncology Club (BOC) president Prof. MA Hai chaired the session. BOC Vice-President Prof Mohammad Hafizur Rahman Ansary, General Secretary Prof A M M Shariful Alam and Treasurer Prof Ahmed Sayeed, and Bangladesh Cancer Congress 2014 organising member-secretary Prof MM Shariful Alam were among others present.