The Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, one of the premier cancer treatment centres in the country, is likely to be upgraded by the Union government as a tertiary cancer treatment centre during the 12th Plan period.
27 centres
Director of the institute M. Vijayakumar told The Hindu here on Sunday that the government had initiated measures to upgrade some of the 27 regional cancer treatment centres as tertiary cancer treatment centres based on their performance and requirements in the region.
At present, there are no tertiary cancer treatment centres in the country.
Funds
Dr. Vijayakumar, a well-known surgical oncologist, said the upgrading of the institute would enable it to get funds for improving infrastructure and providing state-of-the-art treatment.
After being upgraded, the capital expenditure, which was the responsibility of the Union government, would see a major hike and the running cost of the institute, including appointment of medical and paramedical staff and payment of their salary, would continue to be the responsibility of the State government.
To a question, Dr. Vijayakumar said the Union government had agreed to sanction funds for setting up a positron emission tomography (PET) scan facility in the institute. PET scan is a unique type of imaging test that helps doctors see how the organs and tissues inside the body are functioning. The scan can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a patient’s treatment plan, allowing the course of care to be adjusted if necessary.
The setting up of the PET scan facility in the institute would be a boon to patients, he said. At present, only a few private hospitals have this facility and not every one could afford it because of its exorbitant cost, he added.
Inspection
Dr. Vijayakumar said the government’s inspection committee had visited the institute and recommended installation of the facility. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board had given its no objection and licence plan for the installation of the PET scan facility. The government would provide Rs. 4.8 crore for setting up the facility, he added.
