PESHAWAR, April 18: Overburdened with cancer patients, the Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (Irnum) awaits government assistance to buy new equipment and improve its healthcare facilities.
Health experts say that curable types of cancer have become incurable as people have to wait for weeks for their appointment at Irnum owing to high number of patients visiting the institute.
'Majority of poor people, who can't afford to go to private hospitals come here for treatment of cancer that's why there is so much burden on the institute,' said Irnum Executive Director Dr Safoora.During a visit to the institute, situated on University Road right in front of Khyber Teaching Hospital, it was noticed that a large number of patients with different types of cancer had come from far-flung areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and Afghanistan.
Medical experts, working at the institute, said that they needed more machines and human resources to improve the quality of treatment and reduce the duration of treatment.'It will also help us overcome the burden of patients,' they added.
Dr Safoora said that the number of patients, who came for radiotherapy, was around 6,000 per year whereas more than 12,000 patients annuallyavailed nuclear medicine and diagnostic facilities at the institute.
According to international standard, a radiation machines can be used for about 500 patients only but in Irnum a machine is usually used for radiotherapy of around 1,800 patients because there are only three such machines at the institute.
Similarly, an oncologist can check and treat only 250 patients a year but in Irnum there are only eight oncologists so they have to take care of a higher number of patients.
'New machines are needed as the treatment mode is changing with modern research in this field. Human resources are also needed, looking at the number of patients, who come fortreatment hem,' said health experts, who wished not to be named.
They said that patients wouldn't have to wait for long if more modern machines and human resources were available at the institute. 'It will help those patients, who are suffering from the first or second stage of the ailment, to recover speedily,' they added.
One of the main reasons that many patients come to Irnum for radiotherapy or diagnosis is because charges at the institute are affordable as it is supported by Zakat Fund, Baitul Maal and some philanthropists.
However, Dr Safoora said that the number of poor patients was high and the funds exhausted within months.
Mom financial assistance from the government was needed as the institute was shouldering burden of patients from the province as well as tribal areas, she added. One patient can get Rs4,000 only from charity funds that is not enough for the treatment of a disease like cancer.
Owing to limited financial resources, the institute can't provide CT Scan and MRI diagnostic facilities to patients. The number of wards for patients is also limited.
The institute, working since 1970s, is looking for approval of Rs500 million funds, which could help it to buy new equipment and expand its health facilities. However, so far it has been waiting for government support in this regard.
