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AAI says ‘thank you’ to Tiruchi residents with therapy unit

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In an apparent gesture of goodwill to the people of Tiruchi for their patronage of the airport in the city, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to donate a linear accelerator with brachytherapy unit for advanced cancer treatment to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital attached to K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College in Tiruchi.

According to reliable sources, AAI will bear the entire expenditure — about Rs. 22 crore — of acquiring the linear accelerator unit. A representative of AAI will soon hand over the cheque to Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar and Collector T. Rajamani. The unit will be procured through Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation.

G. Anitha, Dean, K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College, told The Hindu that the proposed facility would be a major boost to needy patients of Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Karur and Perambalur districts. Brachytherapy was a radiation therapy technique in which a radioactive source was placed directly into or adjacent to cancer affected spots so as to kill the cancer cells. It was one of the successful and latest radiation therapies for treating cancer patients.

Dr. Anitha said brachytherapy could be used to treat a variety of cancer types. It was used for treating prostate, breast and gynaecological cancers. It would hardly affect adjacent parts of patients and healthy cells due to precision in treating patients. The therapy could precisely kill the cancerous cells faster. Moreover, it would reduce patient’s side effects.

She said the oncology department of the college had five faculty members led by a professor. It had an associate professor and three assistant professors besides support and paramedical staff members. If needed, persons could be hired for handling linear accelerator with brachtherapy care unit.

The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital attached with the KAP Viswanatham Medical College had a cancer clinic, offering treatment free of cost. It was set up about two years ago. Besides diagnosis, post-operative treatment was given to patients.

Located on the first floor of the trauma care and super speciality care block, the cancer clinic was receiving steady stream of patients, she added.

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