The Delhi State Cancer Institute will soon get the facility of PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography). It is the latest technology, based on nuclear medicine imaging technique, which produces three-dimensional images of functional processes in the body.
The DSCI will be the first state government institute to be equipped with this facility. At present, only the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Research and Army Referral (R&R) hospitals have this facility.
“The facility will also be provided at subsidised rates. A scan that normally costs about Rs 25,000 will be done at Rs 5,000,” said a senior officer of the institute.
“Once introduced, the technology will be immensely beneficial for patients suffering from heart and neurological ailments. There are also plans of creating the material to be used in the scan, which would further reduce the cost,” he added.
There are plans to increase the number of beds and upgrade the infrastructure of the institute, which was set up in 2006. Around 1,000-1,500 patients visit the hospital located in Dilshad Garden daily. To make it more patient-friendly, the institute is introducing various measures such as improving hygiene and canteen. Speaking to Millennium Post, a senior official at the hospital said, “Since cancer requires massive investment, the government trying to ensure a stress-free process for patients, besides offering treatment at a reasonable cost.”