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Q Is it fair to means test patients seeking subsidised leukaemia drugs?

I refer to the article in the Post last week regarding the means test for subsidising the cost of the leukaemia drug Glivec. I do hope the Hospital Authority will reconsider their decision regarding the income level to be eligible, which is far too low.

A friend's husband was diagnosed with leukaemia a couple of years ago. He was previously the sole breadwinner. She is now struggling to earn sufficient to support her family of four (two young school-age boys) as well as paying the mind-boggling cost of her husband's $15,000-plus monthly medication expenses.

She has been borrowing a lot from relatives to cope with the draining burden of medication and their very basic living needs, but this source of help cannot continue. The emotional stress and financial pressures are very debilitating. Eliminating the cost of medication would instantly improve the mental and physical anguish for the whole family and others in a similar situation. The proposed means test of $16,000 monthly income for a family of three is far too low. How can anyone earning just a little over this amount support a family after paying for the medication?

The means test should be based on income after the cost of medication is deducted. Sufficient income allowance should be made to allow for basic living needs. This would allow the families caught in such a heartbreaking situation to live their lives with some dignity. Both the patient and breadwinner would be relieved of the worry of how to make ends meet and would improve their quality of life a little during a difficult time.

I hope the decision-makers will be more sympathetic by analysing the basic monthly living needs from the side of those struggling to cope. After all, this illness is totally beyond their control.

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