A troubling situation is unfolding at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital, where cancer patients arriving for diagnostic tests are being asked to bring their own medicines, syringes, and other essential materials. The hospital’s Medical Superintendent says the policy comes from the government and insists his hands are tied. “These are government instructions,” he explained, “but we are using all our efforts and resources to make sure every patient receives proper treatment.”
Among the affected patients is Mehwish, a 32-year-old woman who came for an urgent diagnostic test. She says she never imagined that a major public hospital would ask her to purchase basic medical items from outside. “I am already fighting a disease I never expected,” she said softly. “Now I’m being told to arrange supplies I can barely afford.”
A woman who traveled from Gujranwala expressed similar distress. She said she does not even have the 4,000 rupees needed to buy the required items, and fears she may have to return home untreated. “I came hoping for help,” she said, “but I’m going back with more worry.”
Doctors, meanwhile, emphasize that the diagnostic tests are medically essential and cannot be delayed. “These tests are necessary,” one doctor explained. “If patients skip them due to cost, their condition could worsen.”
The situation has triggered growing concern among patients, attendants, and healthcare workers. Many believe the government must urgently ensure free cancer diagnostics in OPD and provide hospitals with the supplies required for such critical tests. Without intervention, they warn, already vulnerable cancer patients will continue to suffer—forced to navigate not only their illness but the heavy burden of medical expenses.
For now, the crisis at Mayo Hospital reflects a deeper strain on the public health system, where the poorest patients often pay the highest price when essential supplies run short.