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Source: BBC
Cachar Cancer Centre in Assam, are reducing cancer drug costs through the National Cancer Grid. This collaborative effort involves bulk buying drugs, cutting costs by over 85%, and making cancer treatments more affordable for patients, especially in smaller towns and rural areas.
The initiative is led by Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, covering a range of generic drugs. The success has attracted interest nationwide, with plans to expand to over 100 drugs and consider broader cancer care purchases.
R Ravi Kannan (Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2023), leading the hospital’s operations, credits the initiative to cut cancer drug prices for enabling the purchase of quality medicines and providing free treatment to more patients.
Usage: The innovative example can be used to showcase how to address the financial burden on families and the challenge of accessing treatment in remote areas.
About National Cancer Grid
National Cancer Grid (NCG) is a network of major cancer centres, research institutes, patient groups and charitable institutions across India with the mandate of establishing uniform standards of patient care for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, providing specialized training and education in oncology and facilitating collaborative basic, translational and clinical research in cancer. It was formed in August 2012. It has been established by: the Department of Atomic Energy and with the grant support of Tata Memorial Centre.
