Set up national cancer fund for the poor under 12MP, says DAP MP

 

Klang MP Charles Santiago says a minimum of RM50 million should be injected into the 12th Malaysia Plan for a national cancer fund. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The government should set up a national cancer fund under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) to provide access to treatment and medication to lower income groups, especially to households earning less than RM5,000, said DAP’s Charles Santiago.

The Klang MP said a minimum of RM50 million should be injected into the 12MP to set up the fund.

“How would Malaysians who have lost jobs due to the pandemic and are struggling to put food on the table or pay rent, afford cancer treatment?” he asked in a statement.

Santiago said poverty was associated with higher cancer rates and risk factors such as obesity and lack of access to cancer screening and treatment.

He said Malaysia only had 117 oncologists, 2.5 times fewer than the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 300 for its 31.6 million population.

Malaysia needs more than 10 years to achieve the 300 oncologists benchmark with only about 17 new oncologists produced yearly, according to existing Master’s graduate programmes, he said.

“The national cancer fund should, therefore, also aim to invest in human capital and infrastructure to ensure that more doctors receive training as oncologists,” he said. - FMT