Russian cancer patients are killing themselves because they can’t get pain meds

[n2doc]

by Katerina Gordeeva

In Feb. 2014 in Moscow alone, 11 cancer patients committed suicide.

“There’s no end to the pain. It won’t stop the next morning, or tomorrow, or the day after,” whispers Tanya, 29, a Russian cancer patient. “It won’t disappear if a tooth is pulled out or if drops of medicine are squeezed into your ear. If you don’t relieve the pain somehow, it eats you up right to the end. It’s absolutely unbearable.”

In line at the oncologist’s office with 14 other people, Tanya and her son, Maxim, wait to see the doctor who will give them a diagnosis and a prescription. Maxim is five years old. Between a green plant, a windowsill gray from cracks, and the battered, old waiting room chairs, Maxim amuses himself, commanding an imaginary army. This isn’t the first time he and his mother have been here. People in line frown at the boy. A pallid-faced man can’t resist and says, “You should have left him at home. You know that, don’t you?”

Young children are a source of infection for older patients. They are dangerous for adults whose bodies have been weakened by cancer and chemotherapy. But Tanya has nobody to watch Maxim. Her mother, Maxim’s grandmother, is at work. And there is nobody else in the family.

more

http://qz.com/370054/russian-cancer-patients-are-killing-themselves-because-they-cant-get-pain-meds/

[newthinking]

1. Sorry n2This is an exagerrated story

Last edited Fri Mar 27, 2015, 12:49 PM - Edit history (2)

I suspect this is related to specific circumstances using a specific government program for the medication and specific pharmacies that work with the programs.

In general, Unlike in the US you can get strong pain meds at most any "opteka" (Pharmacy) in Russia and while it is not free it is far less expensive than in the US. You can even have them delivered to your home. Like in the US people without money fall through the cracks.

I suspect this also about the lack of "end of life" options and may also be related to the Russian culture, which does not emphasize optimism against the odds as much as we do in the US.

Terrible thing though. Cancer now hits one in every two people.

Good to bring attention to these things, but in this russophobic media environment most of these stories are there not to help but to build stereotypes. Why was this translated to english and placed in western media? There is a market now for any story that reinforces stereotypes. I would more than welcome truly neutral reporting on both the good and bad of the system there. But we rarely hear the good.