Cancer patients suffering due to lack of staff
NEW DELHI: JPN Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital doctors have appealed
to the Government to pay attention to the plight of poor cancer
patients who are unable to receive life-saving radiation therapy
because of lack of physicists at both the health centres.while the
unit at Safdarjung Hospital has been functioning at less than half its
capacity for over six months,the radiation unit has been shut down for
over a year at JPN Hospital.A cycle of radiation therapy lasting 30
days costs Rs. 40,000 or more and because of the shut down of
radiation units at JPN and Safdarjung hospitals.due to this many poor
patients are either forced to wait for their turn endlessly or simply
opt not to go in for therapy.The only option available to cancer
patients from the economically backward section of society is the
All-India Institute of Medical Sciences or the Delhi Cancer Society in
Shahadara, both of which are already burdened with patients.At
Safdarjung Hospital usually the poorest of poor patients who cannot
often afford even basic medicines and proper nutrition are catered.
The hospital administration claims that it had written to the Health
Ministry in February this year indicating lack of staff to run the
unit and suggested that the pay of the physicists be raised from
Rs.14,500 per month to Rs. 37,000 per month which would ensure that
the hospital has enough staff to run the unit.The Health Ministry is
yet to respond to the letter forcing several poor cancer patients to
wait for the cancer treatment.Doctors at JPN Hospital too have pointed
to the suffering of cancer patients waiting for therapy.according to
the doctors often the patients have to go without treatment because of
its high costs and long waiting list. the Delhi Government knows about
the status of the two radiation machines in the hospital and are yet
to get the unit functional. The unit has been shut down for over a
year due to lack of staff. the cancer patients are facing a lot of
problems.hope thier problems are solved soon.
to the Government to pay attention to the plight of poor cancer
patients who are unable to receive life-saving radiation therapy
because of lack of physicists at both the health centres.while the
unit at Safdarjung Hospital has been functioning at less than half its
capacity for over six months,the radiation unit has been shut down for
over a year at JPN Hospital.A cycle of radiation therapy lasting 30
days costs Rs. 40,000 or more and because of the shut down of
radiation units at JPN and Safdarjung hospitals.due to this many poor
patients are either forced to wait for their turn endlessly or simply
opt not to go in for therapy.The only option available to cancer
patients from the economically backward section of society is the
All-India Institute of Medical Sciences or the Delhi Cancer Society in
Shahadara, both of which are already burdened with patients.At
Safdarjung Hospital usually the poorest of poor patients who cannot
often afford even basic medicines and proper nutrition are catered.
The hospital administration claims that it had written to the Health
Ministry in February this year indicating lack of staff to run the
unit and suggested that the pay of the physicists be raised from
Rs.14,500 per month to Rs. 37,000 per month which would ensure that
the hospital has enough staff to run the unit.The Health Ministry is
yet to respond to the letter forcing several poor cancer patients to
wait for the cancer treatment.Doctors at JPN Hospital too have pointed
to the suffering of cancer patients waiting for therapy.according to
the doctors often the patients have to go without treatment because of
its high costs and long waiting list. the Delhi Government knows about
the status of the two radiation machines in the hospital and are yet
to get the unit functional. The unit has been shut down for over a
year due to lack of staff. the cancer patients are facing a lot of
problems.hope thier problems are solved soon.
