Dr Boben Thomas, secretary of the Association of Medical & Pediatric Oncologists of Kerala (AMPOK) and senior consultant in medical and paediatric oncology at SP Medifort Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, tells Unnikrishnan S what the price cap will and won’t change for families. Edited excerpts:
Will the cap lower hospital bills, and does it apply to expensive or imported treatments?
Yes, it will definitely help lower expenses. How much depends on the drugs being used. For drugs sold exclusively by multinational companies, there won’t be much of a decrease, if any.
Medicines are only one part of the cost. How can families budget for scans, tests and hospital stays, and what help is available?
Drug costs are just one part of the expenses. Lab tests and scans make up the rest. For cancer patients, these are recurring costs, because they pay for drugs every time, and each visit needs a lab test as well. There are many government schemes, but they are not available in many centres. Even where they exist, many treatments are not covered.
Side effects such as nausea, fatigue and low blood counts often mean extra medicines or emergency visits. Can they be managed affordably at home?
Side effects are a reality in cancer care. Many can be managed on an outpatient basis. A few will need admission, and that can significantly affect the budget.
Treatment can last months or years and takes an emotional toll on families. How can they manage stress and burnout?
Doctors and nurses take care of the physical issues, but we also need good psychologists and social workers. They can help with the emotional issues patients face.
Many families worry that cheaper or generic cancer drugs may be of lower quality. Are they as safe and effective?
With hundreds of brands available for many medicines, choosing the right one is always a challenge. Many drugs are made in unknown places by unknown companies. Unfortunately, we don’t have a mechanism to check the quality of drugs, so doctors are forced to rely on companies with a good reputation. Quality should not be compromised for pricing. That would be a disaster.