Bhubaneswar, April 5: The fight against cancer and other life-threatening diseases just got a bit easier and friendlier on the pocket after the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here opened an outlet to provide costly medicines at affordable prices.
The store, named Amrit (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) outlet, will make costly medicines, life-saving drugs and equipment available at half the market price, according to a doctor working at the health care institute.
The ministry of health and family welfare hired a private agency, which has set up the store and will also be responsible for its maintenance.
The plan for an affordable life-saving drug outlet had been mooted last September. The administrators finally inaugurated the facility on March 28.
AIIMS director Geetanjali Batmanabane said it was a milestone in the history of the institution to provide such a facility to the patients.
"It is often difficult for the poor to buy expensive medicines. This outlet will serve them well. It will provide the drugs at a discount of up to 60 per cent," said Batmanabane.
The Amrit outlet will sell 202 types of cancer and 186 types of cardiovascular drugs as well as 148 types of cardiac implants at affordable prices. The Union government had, in 2015, launched the Amrit programme following a government study that pegged the number of Indians diagnosed with cancer at seven lakh every year.
According to statistics, about 2.8 million people have cancer at any point of time and half a million die of the disease each year.
The annual figure of women being diagnosed with breast cancer in India is 1,45,000, according to a report published by the World Health Organisation.
A significant number of patients (nearly over 50 per cent) stop visiting hospitals after two or three cycles of chemotherapy because of the unaffordable costs.
"We are committed to decrease the out of pocket expenses of the patients. Corporate and other hospitals charge high prices from patients for treatment and also for the drugs. It is not possible for everyone to buy expensive cancer or cardiovascular drugs. This outlet will help save lives," said a doctor here.
According to a survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research, 16,885 persons died of cancer in the state in 2014.
The estimates put the total incidents of cancer cases in the state at 38,375 in 2014, up from around 37,478 the previous year in 2013.
The report also states that breast and oral cancers are the most prevalent.
"It is a great move of the AIIMS administration to have such a facility for the patients. A drug store was the only missing element at the institute. Although there are a number of drug stores around the campus, they do not offer such discounts. The new store will come as a great relief for everyone," said Girija Prasad Mohanty, the attendant of a patient at the hospital.
According to officials, the store will function 24x7 and ensure availability of the required drugs at every time. Sources said AIIMS was likely to open another such store for the patients in the next phase. At present, the peripheral hospital of the institute functions with 500 beds with 40 departments and a staff of 136 doctors and paramedics on the rolls.
