(Top) Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre in Cuttack. (Above) Patients undergo treatment at a ward. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Sept. 5: Sridhar Munda, 65, who is being treated for oral cancer at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre here, heaves a sigh of relief at the hospital’s move to set up two low-cost medicine stores.

Though the hospital has tied up with two medicine outlets outside its premises in order to provide free medicines to the cancer patients, who possess BPL cards, no discount is available for other patients. But now, authorities of the centre will set up suvidha ausadh, the low-cost medicine outlets, on the hospital premises by next month to ensure cancer drugs at affordable rates to all patients visiting the hospital. A hospital official said a piece of land had been identified for construction of the two low-cost medicine outlets.

Sources said the patients would get a discount of nearly 57 per cent on all cancer drugs from the store.

“We will shortly sign an agreement with a private agency to set up the suvidha ausadh store on the hospital premises,” said director Sushil Giri. He said one Sai Ram agency would be awarded the contract to set up the store, which would start functioning at the cancer hospital from next month.

“It will certainly be a boon for the cancer patients as they can get medicines at much cheaper rates,” Giri said.

In 2010, the state government had announced to provide cancer drugs at affordable rates by setting up such low-cost medicine stores.

However, there was a delay in completing formalities and finding out suppliers, who could provide the medicines directly from manufactures. To facilitate the low-cost medicine outlets, the hospital had surveyed similar cheap medicine stores, including AIIMS in New Delhi, at other parts of the country.

Sources said it was also decided to explore possibility to start the store in association with the Odisha Red Cross Society in order to make drugs available to the cancer patients at 50 to 60 per cent lower than market rates. But, the major pharmaceutical companies’ reluctance in taking part in the tender process delayed the initiative.

“To get free medicines, one has to submit his BPL card, get himself registered and get the requisition slip signed by the hospital authorities. Later, along with the slip, we have to deposit the prescription at the authorised store. It usually takes nearly three hours to receive the medicines,” said Manjari Munda, an attendant from Keonjhar.