Wednesday, 17 APRIL 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) at Himalayan Hospital installed a Halcyon B linear accelerator radiotherapy machine on Tuesday. The hospital has claimed that it is the first and only private teaching hospital in Uttarakhand to have such a state-of-the-art device. The president of Swami Rama Himalayan University (SRHU), Vijay Dhasmana informed about the significance of this achievement by acknowledging the concerning statistics on cancer. He emphasised the evolution in cancer treatment, highlighting the effectiveness of eliminating cancer cells with fewer adverse effects due to technological advancements. This new machine will greatly benefit patients seeking treatment, he added.
Further, CRI director Sunil Saini said that the hospital’s radiation oncology department has initiated the use of this machine to administer safe and effective radiotherapy to patients. On the functionality of the machine, Saini said that it emits high-energy particles or rays that deliver a precise beam to targeted areas, leading to the destruction or damage of cancer cells within the patient’s body. Each treatment session on this machine typically lasts between two to three minutes, enabling most patients to avoid prolonged hospital stays. Notably, this technology was so far accessible mostly in major metropolitan hospitals in Delhi and Chandigarh.
