Srinagar: The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) at the Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura is ‘awaiting inauguration expected in January next year’ to its ‘finally installed’ high-end Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan machine even though hospital administration expects at least 15 patients each day. Officials however say that quality assurance tests are being conducted.
Sources inside the hospital told INS that the PET scan machine ‘was finally installed after years of struggle however it now is not being put to use as the authorities want a proper inauguration of the machine’.
“In December the machine was installed and only after inauguration will the hospital refer patients for the scan,” sources claimed.
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear imaging technique that creates detailed, computerized pictures of organs and tissues inside the body.
A PET scan reveals how the body is functioning and uncovers areas of abnormal metabolic activity.
A PET scan can be used to detect cancerous tissues and cells in the body that may not always be found through computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Patients from Jammu and Kashmir had to spend thousands of rupees to travel outside the state to get the test done, ‘but government purchased the machine for the betterment of people earlier this year.’
“The machine was installed at Nuclear Medicine Department after several officials tried to act as barrier,” sources said.
According to Nazir Ahmad Khan, a doctor at Radiation Oncology Department at SKIMS around 300 cancer patients are ‘treated every month and PET-Scan allows doctors to diagnose cancer at every stage of the disease.’
“Doctors of the hospital advice only couple of patients to go for the test after looking at their financial condition whether or not they will be able to afford travel and test charges,” Khan claimed.
The operation of PET-Scan device will allow people to go for the test for around 10000 rupees. “We are expecting around 50 patients who will go through the test every week,” Khan said.
Dr Maqbool, head of Oncology Department said the instillation will boost the treatment for the cancer patients.
When asked as to why hospital has not made the equipment functional despite its instillation, Maqbool said that: “We are conducting quality assurance test and within one or two months the machine will be made available for patients as we are waiting for the approval of the director.”
