Cancer Patients lives at risk by CSS snafus

THE LIVES  of cancer patients are in danger because of delays in the purchase of medicines by Social Security, while letters from doctors go unanswered . 

In fact, says a La Prensa report, there are patients who have not received treatment for up to a year because of the shortages.

Deily Diaz, 52, has not received any treatment since October 2015 for myeloma.

Letter ignored
The doctors treating the patient have sent a letter to authorities stating that the disease has spread due to a lack of medicine.

The letter was written in July and authorities have still not addressed the situation.

“Today, God is my only medicine,” Diaz said.

Benilda García has been battling multiple myeloma since 1999, but has not received any medicine since August.

“When I call the pharmacy, they don’t respond because there is no medicine,” Garcia said.

Patients’ rights advocate Faustina Diaz described the shortages of medicine as a chronic problem.

“The situation has worsened since 2015, and has reached its nadir this year. We have come to the point where we don’t have the basics,” Diaz said.

The advocate said administrative inefficiencies in Social Security have caused the problem, and said authorities have not worked on finding a solution.

Diaz said that people must insist that patients get the drugs they need in a timely, safe and effective manner.