Free cancer treatment for poor at Gwalior hospital

Gwalior, Sep.2 : Poor cancer patients in Gwalior can now avail a free treatment at at the district level Jai Arogaya Hospital where two hi-tech imported machines worth rupees 30 million (three crore rupees) have been installed by the Central Government.

For general cancer patients, the same medical treatment comes at nominal cost.

These sophisticated machines--Cobalt and Mistro Selectrone that have been set up in the Oncology Wing Cancer Treatment Department are very useful.

Cobalt takes 0.68 seconds for heat fermentation in a single sitting and treats the external parts of the body under Telly therapy whereas Mistro Selectrone treats the internal organs of the patients.

These sophisticated modernized equipments can help in the treatment of cancer patients effectively without causing any side effects on the unaffected parts of the body.

"We are being treated with radiation by the doctors here. It is being done free. In other cancer hospitals treatment costs rupees 40,000. They ask for 5,500 rupees for one sitting to give radiation. I have had 13-14 sessions. I am feeling better now. I could not speak earlier but now I can speak," said Phool Singh, Patient.

Patients belonging to the below poverty line category will be treated free of cost and others can avail the treatment at nominal price here.

"The radiation department has started since August 4. We have treated 22 patients. We have treated all kinds of cancers," said Dr. Ram Kumar Sharma, Radiotherapy Technologist

"Before treating the patient, a planning is done for the area that is to be treated. First, the patient's CT scan, MRI, X Ray is done according to the planning system. In this, the tumour part gets maximum radiation and surrounding organs get least radiation," said Dr. Akshaya Nigam, Cancer specialist and Head of the Department at Jai Arogaya Hospital.

These provisions for the cancer patients have been provided by the central government under national health scheme.

Meanwhile, the patients are delighted to have such facilities provided be government and finding them quite useful. y Ashok Pal

ANI