Nepal cancer patients fight for survival as chemotherapy drugs are nowhere to be found

Cancer patients in Nepal face a dire struggle for survival as critical chemotherapy drugs, including platinum-based treatments like cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, have become acutely scarce for months. These medications are vital for treating various cancers, such as ovarian, lung, head, neck, and breast cancers.

Janak Khatiwada's desperate search for a single dose of cisplatin for his wife, who has liver cancer, exemplifies the crisis. He traveled extensively across multiple districts, visiting hospitals and suppliers, only to return empty-handed. Khatiwada expressed his anguish, stating, "I have neither been able to find the medicine for treatment of my wife nor got time to eat anything until now."

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I have neither been able to find the medicine for treatment of my wife nor got time to eat anything until now.

Despite previous media reports prompting the Department of Drug Administration to publicize contact numbers, relatives complain that these lines often go unanswered, are switched off, or confirm the unavailability of medicines. This situation forces patients' families to either halt or postpone treatment or resort to purchasing drugs from the black market at exorbitant prices.

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My wife was supposed to undergo chemotherapy three weeks ago, but due to a lack of cisplatin, her treatment has been halted.

Suppliers cite rising raw material and manufacturing costs, coupled with government price caps that prevent them from recovering expenses, as reasons for halting imports. Khatiwada lamented that his wife's chemotherapy, initially scheduled weeks ago, remains postponed due to the lack of cisplatin. He criticized the parliamentary discussions on seemingly minor issues while cancer patients are left to die without treatment.

The ongoing drug shortage highlights a critical failure in Nepal's healthcare system, leaving vulnerable patients and their families in a state of despair and desperation as they fight for life against both cancer and a lack of essential medication.

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What should I say to them when they inquire about their mother's treatment? Due to the apathy of the concerned agency, ailing people are forced to die without treatment.