Brachytherapy equipment inaugurated at TNGMSSH

The Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital (TNGMSSH) at Omandurar Estate in Chennai on Satuday became the third government hospital in the city to get the brachytherapy equipment.

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian inaugurated the device and announced that the treatment extending to three sessions, which will cost ₹24,000, will be covered under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS).

“In Chennai, the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and the Government Royapettah Hospital offer brachytherapy. The third such facility has been set up at TNGMSSH. Brachytherapy is available at the government facilities in Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Madurai and Thanjavur,” the Minister told reporters.

Installed at a cost of ₹2 crore, brachytherapy device would enable localised target radiation in the treatment of cancer. “Patients will have to go through three sessions of therapy. Each session costs ₹8,000. This will be covered under the CMCHIS. In private hospitals, each session costs ₹30,000,” he said.

The Minister pointed out that the brachytherapy treatment facility was started as there was a rise in the number of patients diagnosed with cancer in the city. “Every year, 3,000 patients with cancer were treated at TNGMSSH,” he said.

Listing details of funds spent towards cancer treatment under the CMCHIS, he pointed out that between May 7, 2021 and August 31 this year, ₹70.77 crore was spent for radiation therapy of 24,020 patients , ₹80.71 crore for medical oncological treatment of 1,41,610 patients and ₹29.79 crore for surgeries of 12,538 patients. In total, 1,78,168 patients were covered under the CMCHIS with treatment cost of ₹181.27 crore.

Upgradation of hospital
Mr. Subramanian said Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital in Kancheepuram was being upgraded at a cost of ₹120 crore. He said administrative sanction had been accorded for construction of new buildings estimated at ₹100 crore.

So far, 56 persons had undergone robotic surgeries at TNGMSSH ever since the facility was introduced in March. This included heart and cancer surgeries, he said. The Minister listed various improvements carried out at the hospital in the last one-and-a-half years. He said the number of Intensive Care Unit beds had increased to 106 from 35 while the number of dialysis machines had increased to 40 from 20. In the last two months, two heart transplantations had been performed. The daily outpatient numbers had increased to 1,400 from 800 while the number of in-patients rose to 450 from 260.

The Airports Authority of India had contributed ₹18.5 crore through the corporate social responsibility initiative for installing various equipment at the hospital, the Minister added.

Health Secretary P. Senthilkumar, Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Deepak Jacob, Chennai Airport Director Sharad Kumar, Director of Medical Education R. Narayana Babu and director of TNGMSSH R. Vimala were present. The Hindu