DSCI gets hi-tech cancer detection gadgets; new branch soon

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) Delhi State Cancer Institute(DSCI), which caters to nearly 1,000 patients a day, will soonhave another branch in the city that would be three timesbigger than the hospital in Dilshad Garden. Health Minister Satyendar Jain today said this whileinaugurating a PET scan machine and gamma camera, hi-techmachines used for cancer diagnosis, at the hospital in eastDelhi. "This hospital handles 1,000 patients per day. Very soonwe are going to gift another branch of DSCI which is threetimes bigger than the one at Dilshad Garden," Jain was quotedas saying by a DSCI official. The new branch coming up in Narela is almost ready andshould be inaugurated soon. While at Dilshad Garden we have less than 100 beds, thenew facility is likely to have 40 beds, sources said. DSCI main branch is in Dilshad Garden and it also has abranch at Janakpuri, the official said. PET (positron emission tomography) scan is an imaging testthat allows doctors to check for diseases in the body by usinga special dye that has radioactive tracers. Gamma camerasimage the radiation from a tracer introduced into thepatient’s body. "The test, which uses full body scan for diagnosis costsRs 20,000-25,000 outside but here patients can get this donejust for Rs 4000-5000. The cost of this test is Rs 7,500 atAIIMS," the official said. Besides, AIIMS, the PET scan is available at Army’sResearch and Referral Hospital and few other privatehospitals. "The facility will be available for patients from nextweek," according to R K Grover, Director of DSCI. "We are also trying to have an in-house facility formanufacturing of medical cyclotron isotope, after which wewill be able to cut the present cost of PET-CT test andsupport 50-60 centres. "We have got the permission for PET-CT test to be done for60 patients per week but we are in a process to procure moremachines in future," the senior official said. The facilities added today to DSCI are part of its tenthanniversary celebrations. "Our hospital is now the first Delhi government hospitalto have such a facility," the spokesperson said. PTI KND DBSRGDBS