Cancer drug deal,
THE government has made an emergency cash transfer to Turkey to make sure that cancer patients in the TRNC do not run out of “vital” drugs, a top official confirmed this week.
Kemal Deniz Dana, undersecretary at the Health Ministry, told Cyprus Today on Tuesday that his department had authorised an 85,000-euro payment to the “relevant body” in Turkey to “ensure the adequate supply of some scarce, vital drugs needed by some individual cancer patients”.
Money from the ministry’s budget for last year was used to purchase the drugs — two months’ worth — Mr Dana explained.
He said the cancer drugs in question are Ibrance, Keytruda, Abraxane, and Opdivo.
The move came following reports earlier this week that stocks of some drugs could “run out” because government spending for 2018 has yet to be approved by Parliament as political party leaders continue discussions to form a new government, following this month’s general election.
“I can assure cancer patients that they will not have any problems in terms of getting those drugs for [their] treatment,” Mr Dana said, adding that stocks of prescription drugs used to treat other illnesses were adequate.
“We usually open a tender in January [to buy the cancer drugs] but this year we could not do it because of the nonapproval of the new [state] budget,” Mr Dana said.
“But we will be getting ready for opening a tender for the purchase of essential drugs as much as the existing grants allow us under last year’s budget.”
The Health Ministry’s intervention was welcomed by Raziye Kocaismail, head of the Help Those with Cancer Association (Tulips).
“Some of our members who are getting treatment have expressed their concerns and problems in terms of getting some rare drugs which are vital for their treatment,” she said.
“Then we contacted the ministry officials who promised to take the necessary steps.
“It’s good to hear that they [have]. It shows that the ministry does its bit to ensure people’s health, regardless of any financial problems.”
Patients’ Rights Association head Emete İmge told this paper that her organisation had not received any reports of problems obtaining cancer drugs, but added that she was “closely” monitoring the situation.