Patient rush has Kochi cancer centre at risk

Kochi: With many more patients from neighbouring districts seeking treatment at the fledgling Cochin Cancer Research Centre (CCRC) outpatient wing in the light of the rush at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram, treatment delivery matching the requirement and expectations of the patients and their number has become a daunting task before the doctors there.

Consequently the chinks in the facilities of the adjoining Ernakulam Government Medical College (EMC) are also exposed. The CCRC presently does not have ultra-sound scanning, CT scan and MRI scan facilities and also is scouting for radiologists now. It has to heavily depend on the medical college for radiology facilities and pathology investigations.

However, the EMC which is struggling to stand on its feet is not able to match this expectation. According to the medical superintendent of EMC Dr Anilkumar, the ultrasound scan facility at the EMC is not a 24-hour facility though the EMC has a radiology department with sufficient number of doctors deployed. CT is scan is yet to arrive, which has been promised from the MLA fund of Mr John Fernandez while MRI is still a dream.

With regard to Immuno-histochemistry (IHC) investigations that are crucial in cancer diagnosis and treatment, the pathology department of EMC is not in position to fully support this as they also do not have fave a full-fledged IHC facility there. 

The EMC runs an MD course in pathology also and the vice-principal of the college is the head of the department of the pathology department.

“If the CCRC has to function up to the expectations of the patients, the EMC has to meaningfully support it and the government should take the initiative to strengthen the EMC and the EMC authorities should take the interest to support the CCRC. The MD pathology course and those students are also important. The CCRC still does not have a mammogram unit,” said Dr N.K. Sanil Kumar, volunteer of the Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Movement.