Delhi LG inspects LNJP Hospital, warns staff over inaudequate utilisation of LINAC for cancer patients

New Delhi: On a surprise detour to the Lok Nayak Hospital, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday took stock of the recently installed modern Linear Accelerator and CT Simulator Machine (LINAC) at the hospital for treatment of cancer patients and instructed the Director to optimise its utilisation by making it function in multiple shifts.

The LINAC, procured recently at a cost of Rs 38.7 Crore and provided by the Central government, has been facing several teething problems and operational issues. These include voltage fluctuations that has led to the machine faltering on many occasions, requiring technicians to be called from USA for its repair and lack of sufficient trained manpower to operate the machine, a statement said.

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These had 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 shift.

The LG visited the hospital during a visit to the Dilli Gate-JLN Marg-Asaf Ali Road area on foot.

The LG instructed the Director of LNH, to run the LINAC to its optimum capacity for the speedy treatment of the cancer patients, who have been waiting in queue for their Radiotherapy.

The machine provides targeted laser-guided beam Radiotherapy, which specifically targets the cancer cells only and does not destroy the surrounding healthy tissue. This 360 degrees rotatory Radiotherapy machine can be used for treatment of any type for cancer.

The LINAC machine, which is funded by the Government of India, was installed last month and at present, 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.

The LG asked for more technicians to be trained for operating the machine and instructed that, in the interim, four more personnel be sent to Mumbai for a two-months training immediately.

The annual footfall of patients in Radiotherapy Department of LNH is nearly 20,000 while the inpatient count stood at 1384. This new state of art LINAC unit is one of the best in Delhi.

The existing Radiation Oncology Department of Lok Nayak Hospital has been upgraded to Tertiary Care Centre (TCC) with 100 per cent funding provided by the Government of India under National Programme for Preservation & Control of Cancer Patients, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS).

A grant-in-aid of Rs 38.7 crore was allotted to the LNH for procurement of two machines namely Modern Linear Accelerator and CT simulator, which have been installed in the Department last month.

The state-of-the-art Modern Linear Accelerator (True Beam) is the most advanced high energy X-ray and Electron generating machine which offers the most precise and accurate Radiotherapy treatment. The machine will be useful for most the common cancers like Brain tumours, Head and Neck cancers, Breast cancer, Gastrointestinal tumours, male and female Genitourinary cancer and Paediatric tumours.

These machines will be a boon for poor cancer patients as treatment with these advanced machines costs around Rs two lakhs or more in corporate hospitals and this facility for the treatment is available free of cost in the LNH. This advanced machine is not available in any of the government hospital of Delhi.