CMCH provides free cancer medication after 2yrs

Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has resumed providing free medication for cancer treatment after the service was on pause for two years due to complications in procuring quality medicine.

The hospital has resolved the issues and currently has a supply of Tk79 lakh worth cancer medicines, CMCH authorities have said.

They said the medicines have been purchased through tenders with multiple work orders.

The hospital's cancer ward alone gets Tk6 crore annually for the purchase of cancer medicines.

About 10 types of medicines and injections are provided free of charge by the hospital to the patients. Among them, some injections cost Tk5,000 to Tk28,000.

Issues in the medicine supply

The hospital's rule dictates that it procures medicines only from the lowest bidder through tender.

However, the public hospital had to keep the purchase process on halt from July 2021 following objections from its doctors over the quality of the medicine offered by the bidders.

Then in the tender last April, only one company participated, offering medicine of satisfactory quality. The company was awarded the work order.

CMCH Director Brigadier General Shamim Ahsan told The Business Standard that cancer drugs are very sensitive and can not be abruptly changed.

"Therefore, good quality medicine must be provided from the start of the treatment," he said.

"Complications arose earlier when lowest bidders were offering low quality medicines. Doctors objected in writing not to take substandard medicines," the director added.

He hoped that people's suffering will be reduced with the newly procured medicines.

The hospital authorities said the people of the southern region heavily rely on the radiotherapy ward of CMCH for cancer treatment.

The ward was upgraded from 24 beds to 35 beds two years ago. Due to the pressure of patients, it was further increased to 44 beds this year.