Batehaven cancer survivor Liz Rankin is at the forefront of a campaign urging the NSW Government to abolish patient chemotherapy co-payments at Moruya and other rural hospitals.
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Following a recent Cancer Council NSW advocacy conference workshop in Sydney, Ms Rankin said she was astonished to learn that cancer patients in NSW, especially rural areas such as Moruya, were required to make payments towards their cancer treatment, yet in some city hospitals and in other states no payments are required.
Ms Rankin, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, had eight rounds of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation in Melbourne and did not need to pay for anything.
However, her roommate from the conference, SueEllen Yates of Merimbula, said she paid between $200 and $400 for each of her six cycles of treatment.
Community programs co-ordinator at Cancer Council NSW’s Bega office Jennifer Mozina said the Cancer Council picked the five top issues the NSW Government could take action on. She decided the chemotherapy co-payment was the number one issue in the south-east region because it affected the Far South Coast and Monaro communities.
“It’s only NSW and the ACT that is experiencing this problem because the state government never signed up to a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme agreement that the other states signed up to,” she said.
“In the Southern NSW Local Health District Bega, Cooma and Moruya hospitals all charge the co-payment for chemotherapy treatments.”
Ms Rankin said if she had her treatment locally, as a single mother she could not have afforded it.
“These pressures are the last thing you would need whilst trying to put all your strength into fighting for your life,” she said.
Mrs Yates and Ms Mozina said they would be meeting with Bega MP Andrew Constance in the coming months after Mrs Yates spoke to him during her flight to Sydney to present at the Cancer Council conference.
Ms Rankin will be explaining the campaign in Batemans Bay today as the Cancer Council marks Daffodil Day with stalls in The Village Centre Plaza and the Bridge Plaza between 10am and 2pm.