Cancer Medicines in India: The Shocking Price Gap Exposed — A Doctor’s Appeal That Has Stirred the Nation

Sameer Verma
1 day ago
2 min read

A recent post by Dr. Anuj Kumar from Jharkhand has sparked an intense nationwide conversation about the unfair, sky-high pricing of cancer medicines in India. Tagging the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr. Kumar highlighted a truth that millions silently endure — cancer does not destroy only the patient, it breaks entire families.

Cancer is already one of the most emotionally and physically draining diseases. But in India, the financial burden often becomes the final blow.

The Shocking Price Difference: A ₹600 Cancer Drug Selling for ₹12,000

Dr. Kumar revealed a disturbing example: Paclitaxel, a commonly used chemotherapy drug.

Retailers purchase it for ₹600
The printed MRP is ₹12,000
That’s a profit margin of nearly 1900%

For a disease as serious as cancer, such a margin is not just unacceptable — it is inhumane.

Many patients require 20 to 30 vials during their treatment.Even at the wholesale price, this is expensive. At MRP, it becomes financially impossible.

This is not an isolated case. According to the doctor, most chemotherapy drugs follow the same pattern: high MRPs, extreme margins, and almost no transparency.

Why Are Cancer Medicines So Expensive?

There are many reasons — but none justify a 1900% margin:

Lack of strict price regulation
High dependency on private pharma companies
Packaging + branding inflating prices
Hospitals earning commissions on MRPs
Absence of a uniform national policy for life-saving drugs

Even a 200% margin may be understandable in a competitive market.But 1900%?Especially for a life-saving drug?That too in a country where a large part of the population is uninsured?

This is where the question raised by Dr. Kumar hits hardest:

“How will the poor survive?”

The Real Impact: Families Collapse Under Debt

Cancer treatment runs for months — sometimes years.Families sell land, jewelry, vehicles…Some take massive loans.Some simply give up treatment.

The emotional toll is cruel enough.The financial toll breaks whatever hope is left.

This is why Dr. Kumar’s post resonated with thousands. It is not just about one doctor or one patient —it represents millions of silent tragedies happening every year in India.

What Needs to Change?

To make cancer treatment affordable, India urgently needs:

1. Price Regulation

Life-saving drugs must be brought under strict pricing controls.

2. Transparent Supply Chain

Every step — manufacturer, distributor, retailer — must be audited.

3. National Cancer Drug Policy

A special framework for essential cancer medicines is long overdue.

4. Support for Low-Income Families

Government schemes must include full drug reimbursement, not just hospital cover.

5. Direct Hospital Accountability

Hospitals should not profit from chemotherapy drug margins.

A Doctor’s Question to the Nation

Dr. Kumar ends with a simple but powerful point:

“This is not right, sir.The poor will die like this.”

And he’s right.

Chemo drugs should not be priced like luxury goods.Profits should not come before people’s lives.If India wants true healthcare reform,cancer medicine pricing is where it must begin.