Cancer-hit patients used as guinea pigs by European and US laboratories

The Algerian health and hospitals’ reforms minister Said Berkat, has indicated that some doctors prescribe newly discovered drugs, not yet classified in the official nomenclature, especially for cancer hit people ; giving thus the opportunity for international laboratories to experiment their products on Algerian patients.

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• The minister has strongly denounced this misbehaviour, that worsens the situation of this category of patients, warning these doctors, who deal with European and American laboratories, against any form of business “ Cancer- related drugs are very expensive and are distributed for free in the Algerian hospitals”, he said.
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• Although he admitted the existence of insufficiencies, Said Berkat has reiterated the Algerian authorities’ commitment to guarantee chemotherapy and surgical treatments for the cancer hit patients at hospitals across the country.
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• Nonetheless, the minister has admitted that the 5 radiotherapy units devoted to the treatments of these patients are using obsolete equipment and cannot cover more than 8000 people annually.
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• He went on saying that 15 new centers are set to be created and start functioning by next January.
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• Said Berkat has revealed that 35000 new cases are registered every year, adding that nearly 30% of women are diagnosed with breast cancer while 10 % suffer from uterus one.
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