Baur swindles cancer patients

May 24, 2016

Certain drugs prescribed for cancer patients are very costly. Some of them are priced at hundreds of thousands of rupees each, and the right to import a considerable number of those drugs is being monopolized by Baur Company. This company provides the drugs at various prices. The present government has been saying that it will end the drug monopoly by implementing the Senaka Bibile drug policy. But, that is yet to become a reality. Therefore, private companies are given the opportunity to swindle patients at will.

Applications were submitted by Baur company to the National Drug Regulatory Authority for the registration of the Russian-made vaccine trastuzumab. Thereafter, a professor at the Colombo south general hospital (Ragama Hospital) gave approval for the registration of the vaccine. Upon that approval, Baur company set its price. The government decided to buy a small quantity of the drug locally too, after which it came to light that Baur company was swindling the patients.

It transpired that the private company’s price was Rs. 23,000 higher than the actual price. Baur company has obtained an order preventing the government from buying this vaccine from other suppliers. A court case is pending in this matter.

Doctors appearing on behalf of Baur company

What is surprising here is that a group of doctors who should cure the patients are appearing on behalf of the company. They have formed a so-called oncologists association, which is not registered anywhere. It claims the vaccines bought locally by the government are not fit for use, and stresses that only the vaccine imported by the registered company are suitable. These doctors are mortgaging the lives of the cancer patients and appearing on behalf of the private company because of the money they are receiving from the company.