At Delhi State Cancer Institute, 48-year-old Sabra from Jaffrabad came expecting free treatment after noticing a lump in her breast five years ago.
Her husband, who earns Rs 20,000 a month, drives an e-rickshaw and now spends over Rs 1.2 lakh on trastuzumab, a cancer drug that costs Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per month.
In July, she paid Rs 12,000 for a PET-CT scan at a private diagnostic centre.
Sabra worked as a tailor before her diagnosis and has spent over two years on her medical bills.
Sabra’s situation reflects the broader challenges faced by patients at Delhi State Cancer Institute, where expensive equipment remains unused due to staff shortages.
This has led to mounting out-of-pocket expenses and care delays, leaving patients like Sabra in a precarious financial position.
Another patient, a 42-year-old corporate-sector employee, moved between the hospital’s private wards and an unfinished section meant to house more patients, highlighting the limited resources and overcrowding at the facility.
