The number of child cancer patients in the country is on the rise, with blood cancer affecting the kids more than half a total number.
The number of such patients was 236, of which 167 were affected with blood cancer, according to the 2003 study.
In 2013, the number of child cancer patients had increased to 500 and two-thirds of them were attacked with blood cancer.
An Associate Professor Dr Anwarul Karim of the Department of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology under the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) told the Dhaka Tribune that the facility could not admit all cancer patients because of its accommodation crisis.
The hospital had only two units – each with only 31 beds for cancer patients to admit, said Prof Anwarul.
But BSMMU, he said, provided the child cancer patients with specialised treatment at an affordable cost.
If the cancer was detected at an early stage, there would be a greater chance to get rid of it, added the doctor.
But the total cost of treatment goes beyond the capacity of the grass roots who struggle to meet the expense.
Such is the case for a child cancer patient Orpa’s family that can barely make both ends meet.
The six-year-old had been spotted at the entrance of the BSMMU Oncology Department wearing mask and waiting for her turn to give blood for test.
Her mother said they were going through severe financial hardship to meet the treatment cost of their daughter.
“My husband works for a private company on only Tk6,000 monthly salary. We have sold a piece of land at Tk4,00,000 to bear the medical expense.”
“When I heard the news first, I used to cry almost every moment. Now my tears had run out,” she said.
Like Orpa, Riamoni, Anan, Khalid bin Walid and some other child cancer patients were seen at the BSMMU Oncology outdoor ward receiving treatment.
There are mostly two types of cancer – Acute Lymphoblast Leukemia (ALL) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The two need fairly a long time to be cured depending on patients’ condition.
The total treatment cost for “ALL” is around Tk3,00,000 while for “AML” around Tk5,00,000.
The cost of treatment is comparatively cheaper than that in any other countries of the world, said sources in the BSMMU.
Alongside hearing the pathetic stories of patients, this correspondent came across a cancer survivor Khalid bin Walid who was a cancer patient for five years.
A few days ago, doctors told him that he was fine and needed no medicine.
He has to examine blood every month for the next two years.
Khalid’s mother told the Dhaka Tribune his son’s cancer had been early detected.
While the mother described how her son survived, the other cancer patients glowed with hope. L