CUTTACK: For the poor and needy patients suffering from chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), one of the commonest types of blood cancer in adults, the news cannot be any better. The department of Clinical Haematology of SCB Medical College and Hospital has been designated as the nodal centre for extending free medication for CML under the Glivec International Patient Assistance Programme (GIPAP), an initiative of the Max Foundation. Under the initiative, poor patients suffering from cancer would be supplied with Imatinib drug “Glivec” which has revolutionised treatment of CML in recent years. The drug also termed as “magic bullet”, is orally administered and acts directly on the cancer cells with effectiveness in more than 90 per cent of the CML patients. The normal treatment for this cancer was extremely expensive and out of reach of almost the bulk of the sufferers as the drug cost over ` 80,000 a month. The patients can now avail of the drugs free and lead normal life. The Hematology wing, which has been upgraded to 20 beds from five recently, has an inflow of over 500 blood cancer patients every year of which more than 40 per cent are diagnosed with CML. “Previously, blood cancer used to create panic and hopelessness among the people as they thought it was incurable and costly. People used to avoid seeking treatment on these considerations. But with advances in diagnosis, treatment and assistance both at the Government and private level, we can lay the fears to rest,” Haematology head Dr RK Jena said. While the department has become the only GIPAP Centre in the State, the patients are being offered ` 50,000 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and from ` 1 to 1.5 lakh from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. “We want more and more people to know of the facilities available here and the assistance provided to the patients to see them through the costs of treatment. Apart from CML, treatment of acute lymphobastic leukaemia (ALL), more prevalent in children, and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in adults can be well treated in Government-run facilities at a cost of about ` 2-3 lakh, which can be almost recouped from the assistance under PM and CM Relief Funds,” Dr Jena said. The Department has been upgraded with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment on par with the best in the country like Flow Cytometer, automatic capillary zone electrophoresis, coagulometer and five part cell counter. It has now pressed for addition of beds as the blood cancer patients need admission for long period and treatment that runs into months.
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