Tirupati: MP makes efforts to set up cancer centre at Ruia

Tirupati: Continuing his efforts to upgrade the medical facilities at Ruia hospital and associated SV Medical College, Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy has focussed his attention on setting up of Comprehensive Cancer centre at the hospital. The aim was to provide better treatment to the cancer patients which may be a dire need as there is no government cancer centre around 350 kms to Tirupati.

The MP took up the need to set up the centre to the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and pursuing the matter intensely. He told The Hans India that though the hospital was having a Radiotherapy department, the same building with a bunker can be modified and used for a comprehensive cancer centre after installation of Linear Accelerator.

Further, the department was sanctioned one professor, one associate professor and assistant professor along with four physicists' posts. With the functioning of unit, the faculties were sent to other colleges on deputation. As per National Medical Commission (NMC) norms too Radiotherapy department is desired. Needless to say that the city is having one advanced cancer treatment facility at SVIMS while another facility is coming up in the private sector as Sri Venkateswara Institute of Cancer Care & Advanced Research (SVICCAR), there is no such facility in the government sector which can offer complete free treatment for cancer patients.

Dr Gurumoorthy underlined the need to enhance facilities in the Ruia hospital in delivering quality services to the patients and felt the need for upgradation of regional centre of department of Psychiatry to Centre of Excellence in view of increase in psychiatry counselling and management.

Further, efforts were on to get sanctions for physical medicine and rehabilitation centre at the hospital/college which is having an intake of 240 undergraduate seats and 260 postgraduate seats per year and it is mandatory for all teaching hospitals to have such a centre. Such a centre will be useful for Psychiatry, Orthopaedics, Neurology and surgical branches for quick recovery and good post-operative care. Though there is sanctioned faculty and other human resources in all super speciality departments, there is no sanctioned bed strength and infrastructure which needs to be created. The MP said that he has sought the Minister for Health to sanction these facilities in the Ruia hospital which has been catering to the needs of entire Rayalaseema region by taking it up under Pradhana Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) programme. He is hopeful of upgrading the facilities very soon which will be very useful to cater the best medical care to the poorer sections.