PANAJI
Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane, who also holds the Health portfolio, has advocated "confidential pricing" to ensure that some life-saving drugs to fight cancer are made available to cancer-stricken Goans at affordable levels.
Addressing the media on Friday, Rane said, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) has moved a proposal for the 'confidential pricing' concept to ensure affordable access to life-saving cancer drugs.
'Confidential Pricing' is a pricing structure or rates which are held confidential and not publicly disclosed. It is made available to specific customers and may offer special discounts and negotiated rates.
Rane said it will allow the government to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies without publicly disclosing the agreed-upon rates.
Meanwhile, the tie-up between drug major AstraZeneca and the DHS under an MoU formalised in June last year for lung cancer-related screening using AI has been extended.
AstraZeneca will now screen patients for early lung cancer detection by default during X-ray procedures. DHS had launched the lung cancer screening programme in June last year with AstraZeneca and Qure.ai.
The programme uses the artificial intelligence (AI) technology of Qure.ai to screen chest X-rays for signs of lung cancer.
Nearly 46,532 people have been screened for lung cancer in Goa under the programme thus far and numbers are expected to increase manifold with the extended MoU making the screening a default proposition for X-rays.
Meanwhile, a cancer screening abhiyan was held at the primary health centre (PHC) in Colvale early Friday morning where Rane said women queued up and comprehensive screenings included Pap smears, mammography, PSA tests and oral cancer checks to identify potential cases at the earliest possible stage were conducted.
The abhiyan is an ongoing initiative of the DHS which has roped in the Goa Medical College and the Goa Dental College. On Saturday, a similar cancer screening programme is being organised at Pilerne.
