Watch webinar on “Overcoming Barriers to Pediatric Cancer Care in Nepal”
Last October I had the privilege of visiting Patan Hospital in Nepal on behalf of The Max Foundation. Right then, I knew I would dedicate my next birthday to supporting people in need of cancer treatment in the country by covering the cost of diagnostics and transportation, especially for families of children facing a cancer diagnosis.
To fully understand the needs and opportunities in front of us, there is nothing like spending time in a hospital, talking with the dedicated team of healthcare professionals and witnessing the patient’s journey. No matter how long we have been “working in LMICs”, the reality is always different and often sobering. It is impossible to develop solutions from far away; one must listen and spend time on site.
Like other large hospitals, Patan is always buzzing; its overcrowded hallways filled with patients sitting, standing, waiting, or pushing through, trying to get to their appointments. What I found remarkable was that regardless of the overcrowding, everything seemed to work. There was a magical dance, and everyone knew what to do and expect; the place is managed efficiently, everyone takes pride in doing their part, patients are seen, prescriptions issued, medicine dispensation well recorded. Doctors quickly adapt to each patient, which they seem to know well.
Spending the day with the oncologist and the hematologist, I was so impressed by their sensibility. The doctors seemed to know each patient, remembered what to ask, quickly assessed and provided guidance. One by one patients walked into the consultation room, were attended to, and walked out with their prescriptions. At some point a man came in, the doctor spoke with him and issued the prescription and then explained to me that this is a male-dominated family and the wife, the patient, does not know her diagnosis. Without judgement, he explained the circumstances. Another time, we were going from one place to the other in the big hospital and crossing through the crowded emergency room for expeditiousness. Suddenly, I saw the doctor rushing to a patient he spotted in a faraway corner. He later explained it was one of his patients and wanted to make sure the ER team knew the specific treatment the patient was on.
I was excited to meet with the pediatric oncologist. I had heard that the program, led by St. Jude and WHO, was about to be launched; a global fund for pediatric cancer aiming at providing access to all children in need of cancer treatment. For anyone who knows or can imagine the desperation of a parent faced with the most feared news, I was determined to understand the initiative and support it any way I can. There are huge survival disparities in global childhood cancer, which I find absolutely unacceptable.
The doctor explained the rollout of the initiative, which seemed comprehensive and well thought through. All the pieces falling into place except for one, she mentioned – many families cannot afford the necessary testing often done in private labs and paid out of pocket, thus that child never has the chance of a cure. Right then and there, I knew this is something we can fix, and I decided I would dedicate my birthday to help these families.
It is not a lofty or complicated solution. It is simply that even the best developed initiative has unavoidable system cracks, and it is up to all of us to step up and do our part without judgement and simply by extending the help needed now.
Acting with humanity for one another may provide the best antidote to an otherwise uncertain world. Today I choose to act with humanity. Will you?
Together, we can make a difference.
Pat Garcia-Gonzalez is the CEO of The Max Foundation. Under Pat’s direction The Max Foundation is dedicated to accelerating health equity by delivering medication, technology, and services to patients facing cancer and other critical illnesses, focusing our energy on those who no one else is helping. Pat lives in Edmonds, Washington, where she raised her four sons.
In a recent commentary published in the Journal of Global Oncology, co-authors Pat Garcia-Gonzalez MA, Gilberto Lopes MD, Erin Schwartz and Lawrence Shulman MD, clearly outline the need and efficacy of humanitarian donation programs using lessons learned from the success of joint access initiatives between Novartis and The Max Foundation.
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