Faridkot, March 11
A study to examine the economic impact on families when caring for a child diagnosed with cancer in the region has found that many parents develop post-traumatic stress while dealing with a child's illness. The siblings too felt ignored by the parents who are preoccupied with the sick child. This has caused behavioural changes in members of many such
families.
In the study, Bhai Kanhaiya Cancer Roko Sewa Society, Faridkot, found that besides disrupting the family dynamics, the financial hardship associated with caring for a child with cancer also affects the economic condition of the families. Four years ago, five-year-old Akashdeep of Mudki was diagnosed with cancer. Since then, his family approached many hospitals and now after spending over Rs 8 lakh, the condition of the child has further deteriorated, leaving the family economically crippled and mentally depressed, said Jeet Singh, the grandfather of the child.
“Some days ago, the residents of the village pooled money but these funds proved to be meagre,” said Gurpreet Singh Chandbaja, the president of Bhai Kanhaiya Cancer Roko Sewa Society. The society helps the cancer patients by providing medicines at a subsidised rate and by helping them get financial aid for cancer patients from the state government. After the society made a complaint to Punjab and Haryana High Court about the exorbitant price of cancer drugs last week, the court took suo motu notice of the complaint, treating it as public interest
litigation.
Though the Punjab Government assures financial aid of Rs 1.5 lakh for cancer patients, in many cases, the process of releasing the grant was so sluggish that it reached the patient after he/she died due to the disease. So, the financial help was returned to the state coffers, said Gurpreet Singh. In Akashdeep’s case, his family got only Rs 45,000. Asha, a widow with three children, is facing economic and mental problem after her 11-year-old son was diagnosed with throat cancer.
Initially, she rushed her child to a sect in Sirsa for treatment. However, when it did not help, she shifted him to a private hospital in Muktsar. Now, the child is being treated at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College in Faridkot. “I have exhausted almost all my wherewithal,” she rues. She did not get any relief from the state government for the reason of changing hospitals. But the travel expenses, loss of income, out-of-pocket expenses for treatment, all has left her family broken.This economic burden can have a long-term impact on the financial security, quality of life and the future well-being of the entire family. So financial assistance programmes for families of seriously-ill children need to be reviewed and expanded, said Gurpreet Singh.
