City Reporter
The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) and the Patients Behbud Society have entered a partnership with Eli Lilly Pakistan Private Limited (Lilly) to provide access to targeted therapy treatment of cancer patients with limited financial means. The partnership was announced here Tuesday during an official signing ceremony held at the University Hospital. Dr Adnan A. Jabbar, Associate Professor and Section Head of AKUH Medical Oncology on the occasion highlighted disparity in care as a major challenge across the world with cost of treatment a major contributor in low middle-income countries like Pakistan. Program like this partnership with AKUH & Lilly, helps cancer doctors reduce this gap in treatment outcome by providing highly effective drugs for their patients who may otherwise would not have been able to benefit from them, he said. Under the arrangement partnership, the company will support 60 percent of the cost of its medicine for gastric, lung and colorectal cancer of all eligible patients from AKUH. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, every year, over 100,000 people are diagnosed with various types of cancers in Pakistan, with breast, lung, and colorectal cancers being the most commonly diagnosed in the country. AKUH’s Patient Welfare Programme and PBS’ support for zakat deserving patients will cover the remaining cost of treatment.
