Challenges of Accessing Cancer Care
- Financial Burden: Patients highlight the exorbitant costs of cancer treatment, including diagnostics, therapies, and medications. Targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and other advanced treatments are often financially inaccessible to lower-income patients.
Relevance : GS 2(Health , Social Justice)
- Exhaustion of Resources: For many, medical expenses lead to depletion of savings, sale of assets, and a dire financial strain. As in few patiesnt’s case, families are forced to make significant sacrifices to continue treatment, often resulting in long-term financial insecurity.
- Generational Poverty: The article introduces the concept of financial toxicity as a cycle that not only affects the current patient but also drags their families into a perpetual state of poverty, undermining both economic and nutritional well-being.
Public and Private Healthcare Landscape
- Limited Public Healthcare Funding: India’s public health expenditure remains low (under 2% of GDP), which restricts the capacity of public healthcare institutions to handle complex treatments such as cancer care. This leads to overwhelmed public hospitals with delays in diagnosis and treatment.
- Private Healthcare Dominance: With insufficient public infrastructure, private healthcare has flourished, but this has contributed to the rising cost of treatment. High costs in private hospitals, especially for cancer care, intensify the financial burden on patients.
- Insurance Limitations: Even insurance schemes like Ayushman Bharat, which focus on inpatient costs, fail to cover outpatient expenses, diagnostic tests, follow-up care, and post-discharge needs, making out-of-pocket spending (OOP) inevitable for many cancer patients.
State-Level Initiatives and Nonprofit Contributions
- State Efforts: Some states have initiated measures to alleviate the financial burden, such as providing free transportation, discounted fares, or financial assistance for direct medical costs. These measures are limited in scope but provide critical support to low-income patients.
- Nonprofit Involvement: Nonprofits, such as the National Cancer Grid, play a pivotal role in reducing the cost of cancer drugs and providing care support. The Cachar Cancer Hospital’s holistic approach reduces OOP expenses by providing accommodation, meals, and employment for caregivers.
- Philanthropy and CSR: While philanthropic efforts and CSR funding are integral to supporting cancer care, the contributions fall short of the potential. With India’s richest individuals accumulating vast wealth, more individual donations and CSR investments are needed to bridge the funding gap for cancer care.
Political Will and Policy Solutions
- Need for Strategic Investment: The article stresses that addressing financial toxicity requires substantial investment in the public healthcare system. Government funding and political will are crucial to scaling efforts and ensuring equitable access to cancer treatment for all.
- Role of Nonprofits: Until public health funding improves, nonprofits will continue to be essential. They can run pilot programs, build evidence, and advocate for policy reforms. The role of smaller nonprofits in niche areas (such as helping patients secure funding or paperwork) is critical in supporting underserved communities.
Future Projections and the Role of Collective Action
- Rising Cancer Incidence: With increasing pollution, urbanization, and lifestyle-related diseases, cancer cases are expected to rise, which will further strain the healthcare system and increase financial burdens on patients and families.
- Collective Power: There is a growing need of importance for collaboration between government, private sector, nonprofits, and individuals. Only through a concerted effort can the financial toxicity of cancer care be mitigated and equitable access to treatment achieved.
Conclusion
- The financial toxicity of cancer care in India remains a significant barrier to treatment for low and middle-income individuals. While state-level efforts, nonprofit involvement, and CSR funding provide some relief, the long-term solution requires comprehensive reforms in public healthcare, increased funding, and a cultural shift towards more substantial philanthropic contributions.
