SHILLONG, Jan 16: The Health department is in the process of procuring radiotherapy equipment costing around Rs 28 crore to ensure that radiotherapy can be targeted with precision for all cancers without causing damage to other normal tissues thereby minimising side effects of the treatment.
This will be a boost to cancer treatment in the state, as the Shillong Civil Hospital was dependent on the old radio therapy machine, the precision of which has been questioned by field experts.
“That is why the new machine is coming up, it is under procurement. We have given this procurement responsibility to Tata Cancer Hospital, they are doing it and we should be able to get it this year for sure. It is taking time because these machines are coming from abroad, like Germany,” said Principal Secretary Health, Sampath Kumar while speaking to The Shillong Times.
He said that the radiotherapy equipment to be procured for Civil Hospital Shillong Cancer Wing include Single Energy Linear Accelerator, Computed Tomography Simulator and Cobalt Brachytherapy Machine.
The Principal Health Secretary added, “These equipment will enable us to do targeted and precision radiotherapy for all cancers. In addition, the Brachytherapy machine will help us deliver internal radiation. The Linear Accelerator is for external Radiation”. “With the new machines, side effects of the treatment can be minimised and Radiotherapy can be targeted only to the Tumor sparing the normal tissues,” he added.
He also informed that all machines should be delivered within three to four months.
