Pakistan:Pfizer Pakistan Ltd. (Pfizer) has entered in to a partnership with The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) for self-funded patients and The Patient Behbud Society for AKUH (PBS) to provide access to quality targeted therapy treatment to cancer patients without financial means. Patients suffering from gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET)will benefit from the partnership. The announcement came during an official signing ceremony held at the University Hospital premises in Karachi., The partnership is part of Pfizer’s patient access program: ‘MASEEHA’for cancer patients.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hans Kedzierski, CEO, AKUH, said:
“AKUH endeavours to provide access to our health care services for needy patients who may not, on account of financial constraints, be able to afford our regular Hospital charges. Patients who receive financial support receive the same level of care as all other patients. Last year alone we spent more than PKR 2.5 billion on welfare programmes. Our oncologists and other experts aim to provide the best possible treatment to patients and we plan to increase our capacity to treat more patients.”
Syed Wajeeh, Country Manager of Pfizer Pakistan, in his message said:
“We are very pleased to share that we are making significant investments in patient’s access program in partnership withAKUH and PBS. TheAgreement stands out as an excellent example of cooperation between these institutes in an area of public service to those patients who don’t have access to these crucial medicines to enhance their quality of life.”
Mr. Nadeem Mustafa Khan, President, PBS appreciated Pfizer Pakistan’s support and said:
“It is indeed heartening to see our partners like Pfizer Pakistan coming forward to help deserving patients by donating expensive cancer drug. The more we collect donation and zakat, the more we can serve such needy patients, with even more barakaat to the givers of this charity.”
Dr. Adnan A. Jabbar, Associate Professor and Section Head Medical Oncology, AKUH, said:
“Disparity in care is a major challenge across the world with cost of treatment a major contributor in low middle income countries like Pakistan. Program like this partnership with AKUH & Pfizer, helps cancer doctors reduce this gap in treatment outcome by providing highly effective drugs for their patients who may otherwise would not have been able to benefit from them.”
