NEW CANCER DETECTION MACHINE SOON AT DSCI

NEW DELHI: In another public-friendly initiative, the Delhi government is going to install a high grade cancer detection machine at Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI) on Friday. DSCI is the third government hospital in the national Capital city to have the testing facility and will charge only 25 percent of the current market price from the patients.

The high-tech machines known as PET City Scan is presently available only in two premier government hospitals in the city — All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Army Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital, besides some multi-specialty private hospitals.

DSCI will become the first medical institute under the Delhi government to be having this facility. “The facility is scheduled to be formally inaugurated by Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday. The machine will prove to be useful in clearer and precise detection of cancerous tumors present inside the body,” said a senior officer of the Delhi government.

The government has kept the charges of the test at a minimum possible cost to make it affordable for poor and middle classes in the city. “The market price for each test conducted through PET CT scan is Rs 25,000. At DSCI, the tests through PET CT scan will be conducted at Rs 5,000 only,” added the officer.

The machine will not only provide affordable testing facility to the poor and middle classes people but will also decrease the burden on AIIMS. “Presently, long dates are given in AIIMS for such tests. Some cancer patients are forced to go to Mumbai from DSCI. Now, they can avail the facility in the city,” said a senior officer from the hospital. Recently, the government installed brachytherapy technology in Lok Nayak Hospital of Delhi government where 60 patients are treated daily.