Bringing affordable health care to all, Chandigarh’s Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has become the first medical institute in the country that will provide all cancer medicines on a discount of 40 to 60 per cent.
These medicines will be available at PGI’s AMRIT pharmacy at slashed prices from next week.
Earlier PGI authorities had slashed prices of cardiology and orthopaedic implants.
The decision is definitely a commendable one but we just hope the government-owned Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacy does maintain required oncology medicine stock.
What is most distressing about cancer medicines in particular is the sea-deep variation in prices of same salt by different manufacturers. Oncology medicine with generic name Abiraterone Acetate (250 mg) is being sold for Rs 39,000 per strip by a company, while another company sells it for Rs 412 per strip. It is said that in the absence of cap of medicines’ prices in the country such a variation is rampant across the spectrum.
Source: The Tribune
Image Credits: Google Images
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