THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state, known for its strong health-seeking culture, is facing a paradox. Despite high public awareness and a proactive approach to health, soaring cancer treatment costs are deterring many from seeking early diagnosis and care.
This is evident in the low turnout for cancer screenings: out of the 11 lakh people referred for screening since 2022, fewer than 2 lakh (16%) followed through. The Aardram Arogyam campaign survey attributed the low turnout to factors such as fear, ignorance, and financial worries about cancer.
A recent report by the Economic and Statistics Department shows nearly 20% of patients across all conditions resort to borrowing money or selling property to fund their treatment.
Also, more people in urban areas borrow and sell physical assets to meet treatment expenses than those in rural areas. The report, titled ‘Report on Household Social Consumption: Health’ is based on the 75th round of the National Sample Survey (NSS) Socio-Economic Survey from July 2017 to June 2018.
It says for cancer patients, the financial burden is heavier with average treatment costs in government hospitals being Rs 18,000, the highest expense for any treatment, and Rs 41,000 in private hospitals.
50% cancer patients struggle financially: Health experts
Health experts estimate that 50% of cancer patients struggle with financial difficulties.
Despite a relatively high government spending – 5.2% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) – on healthcare, Kerala records the country’s highest out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE), averaging Rs 7,889 per person annually. People suffering from chronic illnesses generally spend more on health, but the financial impact of cancer treatment has particularly worried experts.
“Financial toxicity is associated with any chronic disease where the OOPE is over 60%. It is higher in cancer due to the expensive treatment, especially at the acute stage,” said Dr Jeemon Panniyammakal, additional professor at the Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies in Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences. “To meet the expenditure, families are forced to sell assets or borrow money at high interest rates. Some patients with dependents ignore the risks considering the financial impact on the family,” he said.
One-third of households with individuals suffering from cancer are estimated to spend more than half of their per-capita annual household expenditure on hospitalisations due to the disease, according to a study by Kochi-based oncologist Dr Aju Mathew.
Health experts found that people often seek treatment late after trying alternative medicines without any scientific backing, worsening the disease outcome as well as their financial condition. The state reports around 65,000 new cancer cases annually, affecting both men and women, according to the health department.
