Free cancer treatment for patients at three major medical teaching institutions in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province faces obstacles due to insufficient funds, as per local reports. Pakistan’s Health Secretary Shahidullah Khan is working to reallocate funds to resume treatment for over 1,000 registered cancer patients awaiting medication at Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) in Peshawar, and Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) in Abbottabad.
The government is required to allocate Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1,500 million for the free treatment program for the year 2025-26. However, only PKR 820 million has been provided so far, leaving PKR 680 million pending. At ATH, 347 patients have received free drugs since August 2025, but the stock is depleting. KTH also faces drug shortages, with 623 patients on the waiting list.
Oncologists involved in the free medication initiative have highlighted that over 10,000 patients have benefitted from the program. They emphasized that the halt in free medication distribution could lead to the loss of many lives, considering the high cost of these medicines. The rising prices of essential medicines, including insulin devices and various supplements, have further exacerbated the healthcare situation in Pakistan.
Critics have condemned the soaring prices of medicines, particularly insulin devices, which have surged from PKR 2,200 to PKR 4,720, making essential treatments unaffordable for low-income patients. The public has urged the government to intervene to address the escalating medication costs and ensure access to vital healthcare for all.
