TIRUCHY: Construction of the Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scan facility at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH), which is under way at an estimated cost of Rs 9 crore, has entered the final phase, and the centre is likely to be commissioned in March 2026. Hospital sources said civil work is nearing completion and installation of equipment would begin in February 2026.
The centre is located in the super speciality block, near the mortuary road, and patients can access it easily without entering the main hospital blocks. Once commissioned, the facility will significantly boost diagnostic services in central Tamil Nadu, hospital dean S Kumaravel opined.
“A PET-CT scan helps us not just to detect cancer early, but also to assess the effect of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. It also helps identify cardiac infections and neurological conditions,” he explained.
At present, Tiruchy residents rely on two private scan centres which often leads to long wait for tests and high expenditure, particularly for cancer patients who require repeated imaging. Officials said the equipment has been procured and is set to arrive in eight weeks.
Once installed, the centre will undergo mandatory inspection by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) from Baba atomic research centre for radiation safety clearance. Radioactive tracers used in PET imaging will be brought from Chennai or Bengaluru each morning, as they have a life span of six to eight hours.
The project is being executed under the Build-Own-Operate and public- private partnership model by Bengaluru-based Matrix Imaging Solutions India. Sources said general public would be charged Rs 11,000 for a scan and it will be done free of charges for those under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.