Deputy Jorge Sabag (Christian Democratic Party) supported the bill sponsored by presidential candidate Carolina Goic to strengthen a regulation whereby the state can address the treatment of the disease in a comprehensive and systematic manner. He focused on the need to promote health policies for cancer patients and emphasized that policies in this area need to be a government priority.

To this end, he underscored the need to “promote scientific research on cancer that includes basic clinical research at all centers that with oncologic specialties.” “This disease needs to be a priority for any government and Carolina Goic has already raised it as a key theme in her program,” he summarized.

Carolina Goic is a senator and a Democratic Christian party presidential candidate. According to recent polls, she will not succeed in becoming the next head of state.

Cancer causes approximately 22,000 deaths in Chile annually, which means that 1 in every 4 inhabitants dies from this disease, making it the second cause of death in the country. Moreover, it is estimated that the disease could become the leading cause of death in the country by 2020. The Ministry of Health has designated cancer as a public health priority, noting that one of the main keys lies in prevention and early detection.

On this note, deputy Sabag indicated: “Every weekend we see how families mobilize all their efforts to seek resources to assist a family member who is suffering from this disease, which is why we urgently need a cancer law to improve current conditions, especially for children with cancer.”

He also added that pediatric oncology patients should receive “timely and appropriate medical care for treatment and [to increase] chances for survival.”