Budget’s Customs Duty Exemption Just A Start, More Needed To Make Cancer Treatment Affordable
More than 500 clinical trials are going on cell therapy for cancer in China and USA. In India, only three trials are underway. The data shows that we need to focus more on R&D.
These moves reflect the concern of the Modi government and its intention to help patients and their families fight challenging diseases. While oncologists have applauded the move, they also believe there is still more ground to cover.
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It is well known that all imported life-saving drugs are prohibitively expensive and while customs duty exemption offers some relief, it is only a small help. The overall cost of cancer treatment runs into several lakhs or even crores and this move will not make the treatment affordable.
Here is an example shared by an oncologist working in a popular private hospital in the Delhi-NCR requesting anonymity.
He explained: “If a treating drug costs Rs 70 lakh for a yearly treatment and incurs basic custom duty of 10 per cent, the drug will now cost Rs 63 lakh for the patient – saving a good amount of Rs 7 lakh. But imagine, the family still has to pay Rs 63 lakh and in the majority of cases, it’s impossible."
“It means that the family still has to manage and collect Rs 63 lakh. We need to find a solution for Rs 63 lakh as well if we really want to help," he said.
Also, the doctor explained that Rs 70 lakh is the cost of “just an imported medicine" and not the other expenses such as hospitalisation, therapies (such as radiation, chemotherapy) and other medicines (which are also very expensive).
Several doctors News18 spoke to, described the heartbreaking ordeal families face upon discovering a loved one has late-stage cancer, as hope for survival fades due to the overwhelming cost of medicines and treatment. Not just imported medicines, but the rising medical inflation in India, which stands at 14 per cent, further adds to the financial burden.
Boosting R&D is the only long-term solution
India needs to give a major boost to research and development in pharmaceuticals. While India is known as the pharmacy to the world, it still does not feature anywhere when it comes to the development of new molecules and innovation in pharma.
Modi government has given impetus to research and in fact, in last fiscal’s union budget it announced the Scheme for Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma (PRIP). More than half a dozen oncologists told News18 that there are several advanced drugs approved in countries such as the US, UK and Europe for cancer which are not approved or accessible for Indian patients.
Hence, developing its own drugs and innovating the latest therapies is the only long-term solution to fight rare diseases, cancer and genetic disorders.
For instance: “More than 500 clinical trials are going on cell therapy for cancer in China and USA. In India, only three trials are underway," Dr Satya Prakash, director, pediatric haematology-oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant at Medanta Hospital, pointed out.
This data shows that we need to focus more on R&D and prioritise this area.
What more can be done?
Experts also suggest that India should make cancer a ‘notifiable disease’ so that the actual extent of cancer can be estimated and the budget can be allocated accordingly.
Also, we need to understand that apart from drug cost, there are some expensive treatment modalities, such as bone marrow transplants.
These procedures are not listed under various govt schemes like the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) or Ayushman Bharat – which is the world’s largest health insurance for vulnerable and elderly Indian citizens. To improve the accessibility of cancer care and treatments, the government panels should recognize and approve these treatment packages under various schemes.
Dr Gaurav Dixit, unit head of haemato-oncology at Gurugram-based Artemis Hospital highlighted that “the government should also focus on improving cancer treatment in government-run hospitals, as there are very few centres doing high-end treatments like bone marrow transplant and robotic surgery."
Being diagnosed with a disease like cancer is unfortunate, but knowing that a life-saving drug exists — yet remains out of reach due to its extraordinary cost — is a tragedy. This needs to be treated.
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