The Cancer hospital, IGMC Shimla is soon going to have the latest High Dose Rate (RDR) Brachytherapy unit which will help in treating the cases relating to Gynecological Malignancies.
The facility which is most likely to be commissioned by August, 2015 is being developed as a replacement to present Brachytherapy machine through GIA under TCC scheme of NPCDCS programme of union ministry of health and family welfare.
As per Health Department official the machine had already been purchased at a cost of Rs. 3.58 core and the civil work was being carried out to make it functional at the earliest after making necessary modification of existing Brachytherapy Room from radiation safety point of view so as to facilitate the treatment of cancer patients.
Earlier, Brachytherapy machine facility was available at the cancer hospital which had now been decommissioned on the recommendation of Radiation Safety Division, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), Mumbai from radiation safety point of view. Moreover, the machine had outlived its life and the technology had also gone obsolete. The machine was declared irreparable as the spare parts were not available due to closure of its manufacturing unit. As a result, the decision was taken to purchase new and upgraded version of the machine for which the tenders were floated in 2014. On an average one or two patients were being treated with this facility per week.
Official further added that at present the patients requiring this kind of treatment (on average 3-4 patients) were being given option of getting their treatment at PGI, Chandigarh or GMC, Chandigarh where the facility was available at very nominal rates. However no charges were being levied by the institution for this facility.
