Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI), which caters to nearly 1,000 patients a day, will soon have another branch in the city that would be three times bigger than the hospital in Dilshad Garden.
Health Minister Satyendar Jain today said this while inaugurating a PET scan machine and gamma camera, hi-tech machines used for cancer diagnosis, at the hospital in east Delhi.
"This hospital handles 1,000 patients per day. Very soon we are going to gift another branch of DSCI which is three times bigger than the one at Dilshad Garden," Jain was quoted as saying by a DSCI official.
The new branch coming up in Narela is almost ready and should be inaugurated soon.
While at Dilshad Garden we have less than 100 beds, the new facility is likely to have 40 beds, sources said.
DSCI main branch is in Dilshad Garden and it also has a branch at Janakpuri, the official said.
PET (positron emission tomography) scan is an imaging test that allows doctors to check for diseases in the body by using a special dye that has radioactive tracers. Gamma cameras image the radiation from a tracer introduced into the patient's body.
"The test, which uses full body scan for diagnosis costs Rs 20,000-25,000 outside but here patients can get this done just for Rs 4000-5000. The cost of this test is Rs 7,500 at AIIMS," the official said.
Besides, AIIMS, the PET scan is available at Army's Research and Referral Hospital and few other private hospitals.
"The facility will be available for patients from next week," according to R K Grover, Director of DSCI.
"We are also trying to have an in-house facility for manufacturing of medical cyclotron isotope, after which we will be able to cut the present cost of PET-CT test and support 50-60 centres.
"We have got the permission for PET-CT test to be done for 60 patients per week but we are in a process to procure more machines in future," the senior official said.
The facilities added today to DSCI are part of its tenth anniversary celebrations.
"Our hospital is now the first Delhi government hospital to have such a facility," the spokesperson said.
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