Govt referral hospital seeks to upgrade cancer treatment facility

Nashik: The government referral hospital in Shalimar has proposed to upgrade its cancer treatment facility.
Deputy director of the health department Sunil Patil, medical superintendent of the government referral hospital Govind Kulkarni and civil surgeon Suresh Jagdale on Monday took stock of the facilities that need upgrade for providing cancer treatment services.
Kulkarni said, "The government has decided to upgrade cancer treatment facilities in India. Hence, we have also prepared a proposal in this regard and submitted it to the deputy director."
The government referral hospital, also known as super specialty Hospital, fits the bill of the Centre's plan to set up cancer tertiary care centre as it has been in operation since 2008.
Officials said while the super specialty hospital already has cancer treatment facility, it will be known as cancer tertiary care centre once upgraded.
In the past three years, as many as 1,185 cancer surgeries have been performed at the hospital, besides other surgeries related to heart and kidney, said the hospital's medical officers. If the hospital is selected for up-gradation, it would get equipment worth Rs 45 crore so that the patients can be treated in a better way.
Officials said the shots of radio therapy are extremely expensive and if the super specialty hospital was selected, it would be able to treat more patients. Kulkarni said at present, they have a ward with 30 beds. If the proposal to upgrade the facility is finalised, the ward can be increased to 50 beds.
Medical officers said a large number of people were taking cancer treatment in different hospitals of the city and the cases are rising fast. Government hospitals providing best treatment to cancer patients would be benefited from various quarters given the huge cost involved in treatment.