Palakkad: The Kerala Health Department has expanded its ‘Karunya Sparsham - Zero Profit Anti-Cancer Drugs’ scheme, with 72 Karunya Sparsham counters now operational across the state.

The low-cost cancer medicine initiative was launched on August 29, 2024, with counters initially set up at 14 selected Karunya pharmacies. Following its positive response and increased demand, the government has added 58 new counters, significantly widening access to affordable oncology medicines.

The scheme is being implemented by the Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL). Under Karunya Sparsham, high-cost cancer drugs are made available to patients at non-profit rates, offering discounts of over 90 per cent compared to market prices.

At present, 247 branded oncology medicines are available through Karunya Sparsham counters. The drugs with a market value of ₹6.88 crore have so far been supplied to patients at a reduced cost of ₹2.26 crore, resulting in substantial savings for cancer patients and their families.

The Health Department is also exploring the possibility of extending the zero-profit model to include expensive medicines required for organ transplant surgeries, which could further ease the financial burden on patients.