Life-saving cancer treatments halted at public hospitals, leaving patients stranded

Thousands of cancer patients across Punjab are facing severe hardship as treatment at public hospitals has come to a complete standstill due to an acute shortage of essential medicines, 24NewsHD TV reported on Wednesday.

According to reports, two critical drugs for blood cancer patients, Jakavi (ruxolitinib) and Afinitor (everolimus), have vanished from public hospitals, leaving patients without access to life-saving therapy. 

Despite the government having purchased Nilotinib, the medicine has still not been supplied to hospitals, worsening the crisis.

According to officials, nearly 6,000 cancer patients registered under the CML Project are now distressed as their treatment has been abruptly halted. Most patients suffering from blood cancer cannot afford the costly medicines on their own.

The shortage has forced thousands to discontinue treatment, putting their health and lives at serious risk.

Government-sponsored treatment for Myeloid Leukemia began during Shehbaz Sharif’s tenure, when the CML Project was launched to provide free cancer medication to patients who could not afford it.

For years, the initiative served as a lifeline for low-income patients.

However, what insiders describe as serious negligence by the Specialized Healthcare Department has now brought the entire treatment system to a halt, leaving thousands of cancer patients helpless.

Patients and their families appealed to the government to restore medicine supplies without delay, warning that further delays could lead to irreversible harm and loss of lives.

Reporter: Zahid Chaudhry