Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Friday inaugurated a neurology Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for treatment of stroke and a renovated medical board examination room at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).
He said the advanced neuro ICU has been set up at a cost of ₹60 lakh. Every year, nearly 3,000 patients of stroke were admitted for treatment at RGGGH. If a patient was admitted to a hospital such as RGGGH within 4.5 hours of the stroke, they can be treated through thrombolysis.
The facility had six ICU beds and 44 step-down beds.
Cancer survivor
The Minister met a 15-year-old girl, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right thigh bone and received a titanium implant at RGGGH and congratulated the treating team of doctors.
The girl from Ozhapakkam in Tiruvannamalai district had developed pain and swelling in the right thigh eight months ago. At RGGGH, a tissue biopsy was done and it confirmed osteosarcoma (bone cancer). Further investigations confirmed that the cancer involved the entire thigh bone. Amputating the affected limb would have saved the patient but would have left her with a disability and made her a dependent for the rest of her life, a press release said.
A team comprising orthopaedicians along with medical and surgical oncologists evaluated the patient and planned three cycles of chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumour. The treating team planned to remove the affected thigh bone and replace it with prosthesis. A custom prosthesis designer was brought in and an implant was designed to suit the patient’s profile. The cost of the implant was around ₹1,85,000 as it was made of titanium with less weight to allow the patient to walk easily. As this was a rare procedure, it was not included in the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS).
The doctors met the CMCHIS project director and explained the situation. The required funds were allocated for the patient’s surgery. A team of orthopaedicians and surgical oncologists performed the surgery and removed the thigh bone and replaced it with the prosthesis, the release said.
The Minister met another patient from Tiruvallur who resorted to traditional treatment in the form of branding over the dorsum of the right hand for jaundice. He went on to develop tetanus and was treated at RGGGH.
The Minister said all kinds of treatments were available at RGGGH and urged people to stay away from superstitions and seek the advice of doctors.
He said the fee for foreign medical graduates of Tamil Nadu to take up internships in State had been reduced from ₹3.54 lakh to ₹29,400 following several petitions.
Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan and dean of RGGGH E. Theranirajan were present.
