Cancer patients battle for treatment

Colombo, April 28 (Daily Mirror) - Many cancer patients in Sri Lanka are facing life-threatening delays as broken machines and disrupted services cripple access to timely treatment and diagnosis, forcing them into long waiting lists.

According to informed sources, waiting lists for cancer treatment have significantly increased due to the malfunctioning of Linear Accelerator Radiation Therapy machines.

Out of five machines currently in operation, two are out of service, severely limiting the capacity to provide timely radiation therapy for patients in need.

As a result, many patients are left waiting for months, and in some cases over a year, to receive critical treatment.

A patient from Avissawella shared his ordeal, stating that he has been waiting for more than a year to begin radiation therapy.

He explained that his condition has worsened over time, while the uncertainty and delays have taken a heavy emotional and financial toll on his family.

He added that repeated visits to the hospital have yielded no clear timeline for when treatment would begin.

In addition to the delays in radiation therapy, PET scan services at government hospitals have been completely disrupted since March 27, causing serious concern among cancer patients and healthcare professionals.

According to sources, PET scan examinations conducted for cancer patients have been suspended at the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital and the National Hospital in Colombo since that date.

The disruption is due to a shortage of Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), a radioactive chemical essential for carrying out PET scans.

The FDG supply, which is imported from India, has been affected as the current supplier has yet to renew its registration with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). Authorities had previously instructed the supplier to re-register the product under the pharmaceutical category instead of its earlier classification.

Although the company had applied for re-registration on March 27, in line with NMRA requirements, approval has still not been granted.

As a result, no company has been able to import FDG into the country, leading to a complete halt in PET scan services.

At present, PET scan facilities are only available at two government hospitals in Sri Lanka—Maharagama Apeksha Hospital and the National Hospital in Colombo.

However, patients are now facing waiting lists exceeding four months. Meanwhile, obtaining the test from private hospitals costs over Rs. 300,000, and due to the same shortage, even private sector access has become unavailable.

PET scans play a critical role in cancer diagnosis and treatment, including accurately identifying cancer cells and their activity, determining the extent of cancer spread, and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment after therapy. Numerous attempts to get a comment from the director failed.

Meanwhile, the NMRA has been working on the long-delayed procurement of five Linear Accelerator Radiation Therapy machines, and two of the machines have already been received as part of the programme.

According to a senior official, the remaining units are expected to be deployed to strengthen cancer treatment services in government hospitals, with installations planned for Anuradhapura, Badulla, Kurunegala, Hambantota, and Ratnapura.