PTV Faces Criticism Over Misleading Chemotherapy Statements

ISLAMABAD: On Pakistan Television (PTV), medical experts raised serious concerns over false information on chemotherapy that could put cancer patients’ lives in danger.

Misinformation regarding cancer treatments has the potential to damage public trust and discourage patients from seeking out evidence-based care, according to a joint statement by the Society of Medical Oncology Pakistan (SMOP), Pakistan Society of Hematology (PSH), Pakistan Blood & Marrow Transplant Group (PBMT), and others.

The “expertise to treat cancer is quite rare in Pakistan, for which people spend all their savings,” Nawaz stated when announcing the 920-bed Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital in Lahore in October.

This week, Azma Bukhari, the Punjab Information Minister, announced that Nawaz had signed a transfer agreement with a Chinese firm for the transfer of ‘HYGEA’ novel medicine during her recent visit to China. This therapy is supposed to be minimally invasive and employs intense cold to attack cancer cells.

According to the SMOP, spreading false information about these topics undermines public trust in healthcare and puts patients at risk.

The statement went on to say that chemotherapy is crucial in fighting different types of cancer, and that comments like these disregard global guidelines from respected organizations like the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

The dispute began on PTV News’ “Siyasat Tonight” with Shumaila Chaudhry and analysts Rizwan Razi and Amin Hafeez on December 13. Razi and Hafeez called chemotherapy “fraudulent” and made false claims about the treatment’s effectiveness. Rizwan Razi shared that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is set to bring ‘Chinese technology’ to Pakistan for the successful treatment of cancer patients.

The press statement stressed that when talking about sensitive medical issues, facts that have been proven must be used. The program has endangered the lives of cancer patients who rely on established therapies by falsely accusing cancer chemotherapy of being fraudulent and making claims that are not supported by data, it added.

Medical professionals have told PTV News that it needs to make it clear that it doesn’t agree with the views expressed in the episode and make sure that any future discussions about medical problems only include qualified professionals with the right credentials.

“Misinformation about cancer treatment not only endangers lives but also erodes public confidence in established medical protocols,” according to the statement.

They claimed that PTV News, as a national broadcaster, had a responsibility to educate the public through the dissemination of reliable, scientifically sound information that builds confidence in the medical community.