Shafaq News- Nineveh
Mosul’s Specialized Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Hospital is facing shortages across a range of cancer medicines after some key drugs ran out at the Health Ministry’s central warehouses, the hospital director said on Thursday.
Dr. Abdul Qader Salem told Shafaq News that cancer treatments, particularly biologic drugs, are highly expensive and require funding beyond the hospital’s or Nineveh Health Directorate’s capacity to purchase them locally.
The hospital therefore relies directly on supplies from the Health Ministry, he said, adding that the ministry is currently working on contracts to secure the medicines and that new allocations are expected to reach the hospital this month or next.
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Salem said Avastin had remained available until about 15 days ago in quantities sufficient to cover all patients before stocks were completely depleted at the ministry’s central warehouses.
He said the hospital dispenses around 1,000 to 1,100 cancer-treatment items each month, describing it as the highest consumption rate among oncology centers across Iraq.
Salem urged patients and their families not to purchase the injections and treatments from local markets because of their high prices and concerns over their safety, storage conditions and pharmaceutical integrity.
He said the Health Ministry had given firm assurances that supplies would be expedited to address the shortage as soon as possible.