PM Modi's humane gesture, responds to former Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda's SOS

By Anish Kumar | First Published Dec 18, 2021, 8:21 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to former Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd) to express concern over his sister's health condition and assured of him all assistance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reached out to former Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd) to express concern over his sister's health condition and assured of him all assistance.

Lt Gen Hooda had sought the prime minister's intervention in granting approval to a drug that can save the lives of patients suffering from triple-negative metastatic breast cancer. The United States Food and Drug Administration and European Medicine Agency have approved the drug Sacituzumab Govitecanor for medical purposes.

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In a Twitter post, the former Army commander had tagged the official handle of the Prime Minister's Office and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to seek their intervention for his 68-year-old sister and several others who are suffering from this form of cancer.

"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," the former Indian Army officer said in a Twitter post.

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

Appreciating the Prime Minister's gesture, Lt Gen Hooda said, "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."

Sushma, who is being treated in the Army Hospital in Delhi, 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."

She further requested him to expedite the approval and purchase of this drug for the Indian market and grant a lease of life to her and several others who have exhausted all other options of treatment.

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