Under the project, 105 cancer drugs will be supplied to patients free of cost by the government from November 1 this year
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government will supply 105 cancer drugs to patients free from November 1 this year.
"The drugs will be supplied through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation," Kerala Health Minister VS Sivakumar said.
The proposed free drug project would require Rs19 crore, he said.
He said the government had taken serious note of the reports that certain medical shops were charging exorbitant price for various cancer drugs, adding that stern action would be taken against this.
Sivakumar said cancer care centres would be opened at all district hospitals in the State from January 1next year. Doctors at the district hospitals would be given special training for three months at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in Thiruvananthapuram with a view to providing primary cancer care at these centres.
The services of experts at the RCC would be extended to the district cancer care centres with the help of telemedicine facility. The Minister said the government would open 35 Karunya Medical Stores in the State soon and these stores would sell drugs at a subsidised price (20 to 90 per cent less than the MRP).
He said the functioning of clinical laboratories at taluk hospitals would be extended to 8 p.m., and the general hospitals would function round–the–clock.
iGovernment02 July 2012
