City » Trichy

Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in need of better cancer treatment facilities

⁠⁠R Gokul, TNN |⁠ Oct 5, 2013, 05.12 AM IST⁠



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Mahatma Gandhi⁠|⁠insurance⁠|⁠Cervical cancer⁠|⁠Cancer⁠|⁠breast cancer​

TRICHY: At a time when cancer patients seeking treatment is on the rise, the premier hospital for Trichy and neighbouring district, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) is still not equipped with full-fledged oncology department. As of now, the hospital provides only the diagnosis of the disease, and for treatment the patients have to rely on other private hospitals by coughing up huge amount of money.

The number of patients coming to the hospital to get the cancer test done is on the rise. "Around 15 to 20 patients come here for cancer test, and out of them around 50% test positive for cancer. We are equipped to take FNCA test; CT scan and MRI scan for diagnosis of cancer. We find breast cancer, cervical cancer and blood cancer in the diagnosis.

For the treatment, we refer the patients diagnosed with cancer to other government hospital," said Dr Ravi, diagnostic cancer specialist at MGMGH. Commenting on the issue, Dr R Vallinayagam, dean of MGMGH admitted that if the facility comes up in the hospital it would be very helpful for the cancer patients. He said, "It is true many cancer patients have to be referred to other government hospitals. If the facility is available here, it would be really helpful to the patients."

In fact, many patients don't come to MGMGH as they are aware that the hospital does not have an oncology department. So, they are forced to opt for some private hospitals in the city or the government medical college hospitals in Thanjavur, Madurai and Kancheepuram for treatment.

Dr MA Aleem, vice-principal of the medical college hospital told TOI, "We are can provide basic treatment to cancer patients, and the drugs can be provided to them with chief minister's insurance scheme. The process is on to get the surgical and medical oncology in the super specialty ward." Earlier, the situation of huge number of cancer patients returning without treatment from MGMGH had forced some doctors in the hospital to start new hospitals for the cancer patients.A source said that a doctor, who used to work at MGMGH, had started a private cancer hospital.

Likewise, a proposal to start a radiation oncology department is kept in abeyance, and even the National Cancer Society and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre had given its nod to start the centre in 2009 and 2012 respectively. The hospital administration is not aware about the reasons behind the delay.

A full-fledged oncology department is still a mirage for the MGMGH because of reasons best known to the administrators. Trichy district geographically located at the centre of the state have to be pioneer in many ways. Unfortunately, the lack of lobbying for the district has been obstructing its growth. On the other hand, the political interference cripples the development of the hospital many ways. The progress of the MGMGH was stalled by many years by the politicians who controlled the city because they were stakeholders in some major hospitals.

Now, the only hope for getting an oncology department lies in the under-construction six floor super specialty hospitals in the MGMGH premises

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