The Nationalist party came out with several proposals to further invest in the fight against cancer.
The party spoke of the need to improve care for cancer patients, by making better use of European research and tools that allow access to specialist hospitals in Europe, PN spokespersons Peter Agius and PN MP Stephen Spiteri said in a press conference at the Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre.
There have been great advances in the fight against cancer, and thanks to many dedicated professionals, the chance of recovery for cancer patients has greatly increased, they said. However, the PN wants to be ambitious in fighting this disease by continuing to invest, they added
The party is putting forth 13 proposals to help in the fight against cancer, which include the introduction of a Clinical Research Unit which provides the opportunity for trials of innovative pharmaceutical products. "This not only gives greater hope through more advanced solutions, but increases Malta's potential in the Life Sciences sector," the party said.
Another proposal includes a bilateral agreement with countries which specialise in a particular type of care, so that patients can benefit from the best care possible should this not be offered in Malta.
The PN is proposing a Walk-In Clinic which operates for 24 hours daily, so that immediate assistance can be provided for patients and their families. In addition to this, an electronic health digital system is being proposed so that monitoring of oncology patients can be done by professionals remotely.
A modern system of Ambulatory Chemotherapy would allow patients to be assisted in the comfort of their own home, to reduce risk of ulterior infections as well as facilitating management of fixed resources in hospitals, the PN said. This would also extend to the hospital in Gozo, so that Gozitan patients would not feel the burdens of having to receive regular chemotherapy in Malta, it said.
The allocation of necessary funding to offer free treatment through first-line and second-line medicines which would be approved by the European Medicines Agency is also being proposed.
The PN said that the formulary should be updated to offer the latest medicines without the need for patients to rely on other entities, ensuring that the government distributes public funds in a better way.
The establishment of a Drug Fund was also proposed, which would cover specific indications for eligible patients to receive help automatically without the need for bureaucratic processes.