Show compassion for poor patients

MY friend, a retired civil servant in his late 60s, is a Parkinson’s disease patient. He has been receiving treatment from a government specialist for the last five years and is managing reasonably well in controlling the symptoms of his illness by taking a specially prescribed, imported drug. I understand only a few who have extreme forms of Parkinson’s are treated with this drug.

Recently, the Health Ministry dropped a bombshell on these patients when they were told to purchase the drugs themselves from a different supplier. Those who were government pensioners could claim the charges from the relevant authorities.