Kate, the Princess of Wales, is undergoing chemotherapy. Photo / Kensington Palace
Kate, the Princess of Wales, is undergoing chemotherapy. Photo / Kensington Palace
EDITORIAL
Cancer, the disease described as the emperor of all maladies, cares little about whether someone is a pauper or a princess - a fact the British royal family is all too familiar with after the shock of Princess Kate’s diagnosis.
Kate’s announcement, made in a powerful video message onSaturday after weeks of bizarre rumours about her absence from public life, is the third from the family in a matter of months after King Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis in February and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, shared hers in January.
The Princess of Wales, 42, who is undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy, has said she is focused on making a “full recovery” and has reassured the world “I am going to be okay”.
The future Queen also had message for all those with the disease:
“At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
While cancer doesn’t discrimate between royals and the rest of us, one thing which Kate won’t want for is the resources to treat her cancer, the type of which has not been released by Kensington Palace.
The situation is very different for many of Kiwis who have cancer.
As Herald reporter Nicholas Jones wrote on Saturday, New Zealand spends less than a third of what other countries spend on medicines, after accounting for population size and GDP.
Jones’ reporting has also highlighted the personal impact of funding decisions for New Zealanders - including for those with myeloma.
No new drugs for the common blood cancer have been funded for a decade, and patients miss out on proven medicines that could keep them alive and healthy for years longer.
This comes as David Seymour, the minister responsible for Pharmac, wants to allow the drug-buying agency Pharmac to secure more money by showing how funding medicines would save the Government money overall, such as by keeping patients in work and out of hospital.
David Seymour MP - Assoc Health Minister. Photo / Michael Craig
This sort of thinking is refreshing and what Kiwis hope for when they vote for a change of Government.
Seymour, however, says they’ll be no new funding for Pharmac in this year’s Budget, something which will be hard to hear for those fighting cancer.
This is presented by Seymour as a fiscal problem - about “tough choices” on how to allocate a finite pool of money - which ignores the fact Government spending is always a political decision.
The coalition Government is offering tax cuts to landlords and seems hell-bent on delivering wider tax relief despite warnings from organisations like the IMF. It no doubt sees more political mileage in doing so than increasing funding for Pharmac.
Not every drug can be purchased (our health system will always need more money than is available) but until Seymour’s planned reform, the Government needs to do a better job of bridging the gap between care in New Zealand and in countries like Australia.
Cancer patients don’t expect the royal treatment, but many deserve better than what New Zealand is able to offer today. Their lives, in some cases, depend on it.
