THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Intervening on the reports in which some essential medicines for cancer treatment were unavailable at the pharmacy of Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), the State Human Rights Commission directed the RCC director to conduct an inquiry and submit a report. In its report, commission chairman Justice Antony Dominic pointed out that due to the unavailability of medicines for acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL), a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow, among children, parents are running from pillar to post. 

“Cancer treatment for children is free of cost at RCC. As per the complaint received by the commission, the unavailability of medicines like methotrexate and mercaptopurine for childhood ALL at the RCC pharmacy has created a difficult situation for patients for the past few months.  To make matters worse, these medicines are also not available at the pharmacies outside,” said Antony. 

At the same time, RCC authorities said its pharmacy had run out of stock of the said medicines recently and it is mainly because of procurement-related issues of Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL), the public sector unit which is entrusted with the task of supplying medicines to RCC. 

“Unavailability of the said medicines has been there for the past 10 to 15 days. It’s KMSCL which has to supply medicines to RCC. The new stock was expected to arrive on June 30. But they intimated us that they had some issues in procuring medicines,” said an officer of RCC. 

According to the officer, it might take at least one month for KMSCL to supply medicines to RCC as they might have to retender it. “The medicines for childhood ALL are not life-saving drugs. They fall under the category of maintenance drugs. They are chemo tablets consumed during the treatment course,” said the officer. 

When asked about this, RCC director Dr Rekha Nair told Express, “There is no need for panic. RCC has made alternative arrangements including local purchase of medicines for the pharmacy. Arrangements have been made for patients to buy medicines from the Karunya Pharmacy of SAT Hospital by providing them with slips. RCC will later reimburse the pharmacy directly,” she said.