Government hospitals like Safdarjung and Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital offering cancer treatment do not have linear accelerators, which are used in radiation therapy for treating cancer patients. Instead, they use Cobalt 60 machines that lack in precision and have side effects. Safdarjung Hospital has over 30-year-old department of oncology that offers cancer treatment.
“We do not have linear accelerators. We use Cobalt 60 machines and brachy therapy for treating cancer patients” Safdarjung Hospital medical superintendent Dr. N.K. Mohanty said.
The merits of linear accelerator over Cobalt 60 machines are many. “The cobalt 60 machines lack precision. They cannot treat deeply embedded tumours. Since it has a radio isotope, one has to be very cautious at the time of disposal. The radio isotope has to be replaced from time to time. On the other hand, linear accelerators are focussed and are very effective for all types of tumours. With linear accelerator, the disease control is better,” Senior Consultant, Radiation, Dr Vineeta Goel from Max Hospital, said.
It is to be noted that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences is the only government hospital that has linear accelerator. Cobalt 60 machines cost over Rs 2 crores while linear accelerator roughly cost over Rs 7 crores.
Safdarjung medical superintendent Dr Mohanty also said, “We have written to the health ministry to provide us linear accelerators as they are very costly but we have not yet got any response on that”.
However, a senior health ministry official said, “For hospitals like Safdarjung, funds should never be a problem as many a times they return the unused amount to the health ministry”.
Medical Superintendent, LNJP, Dr Amit Bannerjee, said, “The hospital has chalked out a plan to provide best cancer facilities to Delhiites which includes outsourcing linear accelerators. We are working on it and we are aware of the problems”.