CUTTACK: In a bid to boost cancer care in the State, two more Linear Accelerator (LINAC) radiotherapy systems will soon be installed at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC).Currently, the AHRCC has two LINAC and as many Cobalt systems to provide radiotherapy which is a main treatment to cure or control cancer. The State Government-run hospital is the sole refuge for thousands of poor cancer patients of Odisha and neighbouring States.
While one of the two Cobalt machines is 23 years old and has been shut down, the other is eight-year-old and is being run with much difficulty. The Cobalt units have become obsolete as treatments carried out on these machines are typically limited to simple techniques.
LINAC systems identify the damaged cells and apply radiation therapy to kill cancer cells without destroying the healthy ones. The existing LINAC systems were set up at AHRCC in 2016 to provide advanced cancer treatment to patients. However, . On any given day, a maximum of 350 to 400 cancer patients are able to avail radiation therapy on a day while another 80 to 100 patients have to remain in the waiting list for the treatment. Besides, the two LINAC systems often break down due to overload, sources said.
While a cancer patient, who needs 25 to 30 radiotherapy sessions on an average, has to cough up at least `1 lakh to avail the treatment at private facilities, the same is being provided free of cost at AHRCC, which is the main factor for increasing flow of patients to the hospital. Considering the demand, AHRCC authorities had proposed for two more LINAC systems on turnkey to meet the current requirement. The proposal was approved and a sum of `27 crore has already been allotted jointly by the Central and State Governments with a 60:40 sharing ratio for procurement of two LINAC systems.
“Our plan to install the two new systems in a complex has also been approved by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB),” said AHRCC Director Lalatendu Sarangi. The Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL) is likely to float tender within a day or two for availing the two new LINAC systems, he added.