Nepal's cancer patients struggle as chemotherapy drug shortage bites

Cancer patients in Nepal are struggling to access life-saving chemotherapy drugs, with a severe shortage of platinum-based medications like carboplatin disrupting treatments. Families are desperately searching for single doses, often facing immense difficulty in obtaining them from hospital pharmacies or private drugstores.

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My husband and his elder brother struggled a lot to find a single dose of carboplatin. They requested many, to find a single dose of medicine at Kuleshwar.

Shova Devkota, daughter-in-law of a lung cancer patient, described the arduous journey her husband and brother-in-law undertook to find just one dose of carboplatin. "They struggled a lot to find a single dose of carboplatin," she said, emphasizing the difficulty in securing the medicine even in the capital. "They requested many, to find a single dose of medicine at Kuleshwar."

The crisis stems from increased raw material prices, exacerbated by the West Asia conflict and currency exchange rates. Drug manufacturers have reduced production and increased prices, while a government price cap deters suppliers from importing the drugs at the old rates. This has led to a flourishing black market where desperate relatives pay inflated prices.

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Definitely price matters, but continuing treatment is even more important.

Oncologists report that essential drugs like carboplatin, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin are unavailable through official channels. "We do not have medicines in our pharmacy, and our suppliers have told us that they cannot supply at the price set by the government," said Dr. Ujjwal Chalise, executive director at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital. "But relatives of patients have been bringing the medicines for treatment. Black markets have flourished in the ongoing crisis."

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We do not have medicines in our pharmacy, and our suppliers have told us that they cannot supply at the price set by the government. But relatives of patients have been bringing the medicines for treatment. Black markets have flourished in the ongoing crisis. You can call it black, grey or brown marketing, but the fact is medicines are not available at the price set by the government.

Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital sees around 60 cancer patients daily for chemotherapy. Even suppliers contracted through open bidding have halted deliveries, citing the price discrepancies. The situation leaves hundreds of cancer patients in a precarious state, with treatment continuation hanging in the balance against the backdrop of soaring costs and scarce availability.

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What I understand is that the price of raw materials for platinum-based chemotherapy medicines has increased manyfold due to the West Asia conflict and the rise in the dollar exchange rate. Some companies have reduced production and raised prices. Due to the government-imposed price cap, suppliers in our country have been unable to supply medicines at the old price.