PM calls ex-Armyman following tweet on need for breast cancer drug for sister, assures help

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to former Northern Army Commander Leutenant General (Retd) D.S. Hooda, and assured that the request of his ailing sister for a new breast cancer drug will be considered.

Lt Gen Hooda had sought the PM’s intervention in granting approval for a drug that can save the live of his 68-year-old sister, Sushma Hooda, and several others who are suffering from a special kind of cancer.

Hooda in a tweet had tagged the Prime Minister’s Office and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to seek government intervention to approve a drug that can give patients suffering from triple-negative metastatic breast cancer a chance of life.

“I start this tweet by admitting that I have a personal interest. My sister Sushma Hooda is a cancer patient of several years with dwindling hope. Keeping sentiments aside, approval of the new drug may give a fighting chance of survival to many like her,” said the former Indian Army officer in his tweet.

Sushma Hooda is the wife of a former Indian Army officer and is suffering from triple-negative metastatic breast cancer, which has very limited treatment options in India.

She is currently getting the treatment at the Army Hospital in Delhi.

She wrote to the Prime Minister, “There is hope for us now as the USFDA has tested and approved as first-line treatment a new drug called Sacituzumab Govitecanor (Trodelvy) in April 2021. Also, the European Medicine Agency has approved it for medical use in November 2021.”

Appreciating the Prime Minister’s gesture, Lt Gen Hooda tweeted, “Received a call from the Prime Minister’s Office and spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who expressed concern over the case. Truly humbled and honoured on receiving his call and his words that the case would be looked into. Proud to be an Indian and even prouder of the PM’s personal intervention. Jai Hind.”