New critical care block, radiation facility to be inuagurated at Kanniyakumari Govt Medical College Hospital
Kanniyakumari: In a boost to healthcare infrastructure, a new medical facility worth Rs 24 crore is set to be inaugurated soon at the Kanniyakumari Government Medical College and Hospital (KKGMCH) in Asaripallam, Tamil Nadu. This new infrastructure at the hospital includes a six-storey critical care unit building, constructed at a cost of Rs 20 crore, and a radiation facility for cancer patients.
Speaking to The Hindu, an official from the KKGMCH administration said that the critical care unit has been planned in such a way that emergency patients can be treated under one roof with all the necessary facilities, including lab, X-ray, and scanning facilities. He added that the six-storey new building will house an intensive care unit, two operating theatres, a post-operative care unit, and other essential facilities for critical care.
At present, many cancer patients have to go to private hospitals or the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. Although KKGMCH has surgical and medical oncology departments, patients requiring radiation therapy are being referred to the Regional Cancer Centre (RMC) in Tirunelveli.
Furthermore, KKMCH Dean Leo David said that the new radiation facility will greatly benefit cancer patients in the Kanyakumari district. He explained that the hospital performs surgery on approximately 50 cancer patients every month, and they are currently referred to RMC, Tirunelveli, for radiation treatment. The availability of a similar radiation facility at their own hospital will be a significant advantage for cancer patients seeking treatment there.
He also stated that two new doctors have been deployed to support the radiation unit. Mr David also informed that the machines have already been installed through the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS), and they are awaiting the installation of medical isotopes, which will be done by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
Meanwhile, a radiation therapy facility for cancer patients, being built at a cost of ₹4 crore, will also be launched at the hospital soon. This is one of the most-awaited medical facilities that the people of Kanyakumari district have been demanding for a long time, as the district has a significantly high number of cancer patients, according to The Hindu.
