'Protocols for cancer treatment needed to combat inequality' - Claudio Grech

Claudio Grech says most people can't afford some cancer treatments • Video Ray Attard

Opposition speaker for health Claudio Grech, at a press conference at Boffa Hospital, lamented the discrimination that cancer patients face.

An inability to pay for expensive medicine and treatments has created an inequality between people who can and those who cannot afford such options. The majority, Grech said, fall into the latter category.

“This problem has been around a long time,” he said. “The time has come to address it.”

Grech said that the first step was to recognize the inequality, while the next was to set up clear protocols for when and how to administer treatment to cancer patients.

Grech also spoke about the migration of the oncology department at Boffa Hospital to the new department at Mater Dei. The shift, he hoped, would be not only in the physical premises but would also include a leap in quality.

“With an investment of over €60 million in the new oncology department, there should also be a focus on human resources to ensure that there are enough members of staff and that they are well trained,” Grech said.