The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : MNJ Cancer Hospital plans centre of excellence

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Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

MNJ Cancer Hospital plans centre of excellence

Efforts on to identify site around Rangapur village of Bibinagar where referral varsity of NIMS is coming up

Hospital approaches government for 50-acre site
YSR directs officials to find the right location

HYDERABAD: Given the rise in cancer prevalence and the need to meet the shortfall of trained specialists to handle the situation, the MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre has sought a 50-acre site on the outskirts to set up a centre of excellence.

The government has been approached on the subject and efforts are on to identify an ideal site around Rangapur village of Bibinagar, where an advanced research and referral university of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences is coming up, for locating an institute of excellence in cancer treatment and offer training in the super-speciality.

“The prevalence of cancer is going up and there is a need to have an appropriate facility to meet the challenge. That’s why we mooted the idea and Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy issued directions on finding a right location for it,” said institute director, T. Mandapal. Not only the treatment, a dearth of professionals trained in this speciality looms large. “Earlier, general physicians used to treat cancer patients. Now the subject is a super-speciality with several sub-specialities and there is an acute shortage of manpower trained in it,” he said. From radiation oncology to surgical and medical oncology and other sub-specialities such as pathology and tumour marking were not available. The proposed Institute of Oncology would come up as one of the best in the country with all necessary facilities not only for the patients but also the attendants and adequate attention for palliative care.

Linear accelerator

Meanwhile, the MNJ Hospital has acquired a High Energy Linear Accelerator at a cost of Rs. 6 crore and the same would be installed in a separate facility, Rajiv Gandhi Linear Accelerator Block, being set up at Rs. 4.8crore. This equipment comes with a technology that offers precise radiation to a tumour.

“The radiation is precisely given to the tumour according to its shape and kills cancerous tissue while sparing the normal tissue,” he said. The new block follows designs specified by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and stipulations of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. “All safety measures of Level-3 under the guidance of these two agencies are incorporated at the new facility,” Dr. Mandapal said.

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