Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1414163
9 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 SEPTEMBER 2021 vide these newer treatments, it would not need to spend as much as the MCCF was cur- rently spending. The MCCF pays full retail price each time it orders a cycle of treatment for a single patient. The government, on the other hand, would pay much-reduced wholesale prices since it would be able to order in bulk, having the means to securely store a steady number of treatments. The PN is recommending the setting up of a Drugs Fund, which would continue accept- ing donations from willing par- ties, and administered by the government under strict, clear protocols. The fund would cov- er cancer treatments, as well as treatment for side effects like nausea and constipation. Spiteri said that the Opposi- tion's proposals also including expanding existing screening programmes to reach a higher percentage of the population. "With newer treatments, the earlier you diagnose a cancer such as breast, colon and pros- tate cancer, the higher the suc- cess rates," Spiteri said. "If this possibility exists, we should provide it to as many people as possible." More widely-available genetic testing programmes would also allow individuals with a strong family history of some types of cancer to seek early medical as- sistance. Spiteri said that vast improve- ments had also been registered in radiotherapy, with new equipment available abroad having proven to be able to drastically limit the damage to healthy tissue. "Introducing the latest generation of radiothera- py equipment would therefore result in a better quality of life for patients after treatment," he said. The PN spokesman said the party was also proposing the setting up of a 24-hour walk- in clinic, possibly within the oncology centre at Mater Dei Hospital, where cancer patients would be able to seek immedi- ate medical assistance, without having to go through the Emer- gency department. Other proposals include pro- viding cancer patients with spe- cialised electronic devices that would allow them to contact a specialist directly in the case of a medical emergency. Ambulatory chemotherapy should also be considered, the PN believes, in the case of pa- tients who specialists believe are capable of administering the treatment themselves at home, under approved conditions, thus also easing the pressure on the oncology centre. And Spiteri believes that ex- panding the country's research and innovation capabilities, possibly developing a well-fund- ed hub in Malta, would attract global financing as well as spe- cialists in the field. "Malta should also look to building solid bilateral rela- tionships with other countries to ensure an exchange of treat- ments, equipment and research and to keep abreast of innova- tion in the field," Spiteri said. "Having such bilateral agree- ments with countries like Ger- many, Italy and Israel would allow us to offer cancer patients in Malta the best possible treat- ment available anywhere." The PN spokesman for health Stephen Spiteri said it is high time that the government expand the national formulary to include new – and approved – cancer treatments and services