Poverty is forcing some cancer patients to stop receiving treatment, said Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Kharachi, executive director of the Anti-Cancer Charitable Society in Riyadh. Some patients have incomes of less than SR3,000, and they cannot pay for transportation and food in cities where they are treated and have no choice but to stop getting medical care, he said. This problem has led his organization to meet with officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs to discuss providing government aid to the people who face this challenge, said Dr. Al-Kharachi, who suggested that each person receives SR12,000 per year for transportation and food expenses. He said his group, which covers transportation and food costs, has received more than SR1 million in donations through text messages on 5070 and added that it needs more contributions to meet the expenses of 3,000 patients it helps. He said the society, which has served 28,000 people, has an agreement with a private hospital to provide convalescence services to patients who can't get treatment in government hospitals. The charity is working to buy a building so it can directly provide that care, Dr. Al
