The LG instructed the director of LNJP to run the LINAC machine in its optimum capacity for the speedy treatment of cancer patients, who have been waiting in queue for their radiotherapy, he added. This machine is not available in any of the Delhi government-run hospitals, the official claimed.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has directed the director of the state-run LNJP Hospital to ensure optimal usage of its linear accelerator and CT simulator machines for the treatment of cancer patients, following complaints of operational issues, Raj Niwas officials said on Monday.
The machines, procured recently at a cost of Rs 38.7 crore provided by the Centre, are meant for conducting radiotherapy of patients but these have been facing several teething problems and operational issues, they said. "These include voltage fluctuations that have led to the (linear accelerator or LINAC) machine faltering on many occasions, requiring technicians to be called from USA for its repair and a lack of sufficient trained manpower to operate the machine. These have led to the machine being used for treating just 18 patients in the last one month since its installation as against its capacity of serving 10-15 patients per (eight-hour) shift," an official said.
The LG instructed the director of LNJP to run the LINAC machine in its optimum capacity for the speedy treatment of cancer patients, who have been waiting in queue for their radiotherapy, he added. This machine is not available in any of the Delhi government-run hospitals, the official claimed.
The machine was installed last month and is run by four trained technicians in one shift of eight hours with the capacity to serve 10-15 patients."However, despite the fact that the machine was installed more than a month ago, it is has been able to serve the needs of only 18 patients till now due to glitches in the machine," he noted.
The LG asked for more technicians to be trained for operating the machine and instructed that, in the interim, four personnel be sent to Mumbai for a two-month training immediately. The annual footfall of patients in the radiotherapy department of the hospital is nearly 20,000 while the inpatient count stands at 1,384.'The Radiation Oncology Department of the hospital was upgraded to a tertiary care centre with 100 per cent funding provided by the Centre under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).