Date:30/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/30/stories/2008103060110400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

MNJ Cancer Hospital to go hi-tech

New blocks with state-of-the art equipment on the anvil

Acquires permission from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to run nuclear facility
10,000 new patients visit the hospital, 50,000 for follow-up and one lakh for investigations

HYDERABAD: A slew of patient-centric developmental activities at MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre promises patients with hi-tech cancer treatment on par with private hospitals. The hospital is getting ready to introduce an entire new block dedicated to linear accelerators and a Golden Jubilee block for post-operative care.

The Rajiv Gandhi Linear Accelerator Block, having a high dual energy linear accelerator worth Rs. 6 crore, will be ready in six to eight weeks. The facility, coming-up with a cost of Rs. 5 crore, will have a capacity to support four accelerators, which are used in radiation treatment for various types of cancers.

The setting-up of a nuclear facility, with Gamma Camera, to treat a host of cancers is almost over. The hospital authorities have informed that nuclear isotopes would be arriving to the facility in three to four weeks.

To run this over Rs. 2.5 crore worth facility, MNJ has acquired permissions from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

“Using Gamma camera and nuclear medicine, we can exactly pinpoint the size and location of the tumour afflicting the body parts,” informed hospital Director Dr. T. Mandapal.

Apart from all this, the hospital is acquiring state-of-the-art laparoscopes and endoscopes worth Rs. 70 lakh in another two months. “We have the largest number of patient inflow in the State and these tools are vital to extend quality service,” Dr. Mandapal says.

Annually, 10,000 new cancer patients visit the hospital, 50,000 patients for follow-up and nearly one lakh patients for cancer related investigations. On an average, in one year, nearly 1,500 cancer surgeries of various types are conducted in the hospital.

Ward for children

“We have also started an exclusive ward for children recovering from surgeries. The bottom line is prevention is far better that cure for cancers,” he said. Commonly occurring cancer among males continues to be related to head and neck due to tobacco chewing while in women cancer of cervix is common due to poor genital hygiene.