Anantapur: Cancer patients from Rayalaseema region have no option but depend on outdated equipment for cancer treatment at the Government General Hospital, in Kurnool. Though, the cancer unit had enough staff to conduct all tests, including chemotherapy and radiation, lack of equipment with advanced technology has been a drawback for the general hospital. Sources said the Centr-al government had sanctioned the unit an estimated '40 crore for establishing high-technology machines to treat cancer, but it is still being delayed due to lethargy of the government authorities. Radiation and chemotherapy machines were equipped over a decade ago at the cancer unit of Kurnool hospital.
The outdated technology is unable to provide treatment to the patients who rush from all parts of Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa districts and also adjacent Karnataka and Telangana areas. In the recent years, radiation and chemotherapy machines are equipped with fully advanced technology, making treatment process speedy. The Central government had recently sanctioned high-technology machine at Oncology department at the Kurnool general hospital, with an estimated '40 crore cost. Similarly, another cancer unit was also sanctioned at Mangalagiri, official sources said.
It may be noted that Anantapur cancer unit has been facing scarcity of staff, including Radiation safety officer, since five years and the general hospital has recently opened unit offering radiation and chemotherapy treatment, but with low cost equipment. Kurnool medical college principal, Ramprasad, said adequate staff and technicians are available at cancer unit in Kurnool, “We are waiting for well-equipped modern mach-ines to provide more services for the cancer patients,” he said. CPI state secretary K. Ramakrishna demanded the government improve facilities at all the departments in Kurnool general hospital for the benefit of Rayalaseema people.
