PET Scan Services commence at GMC Jammu

Jammu, July 18: As a defining step forward towards quality health care delivery, in the form of high-end facilities and equipment, to people of J&K, much awaited PET Scan Services commenced at State Cancer Institute (SCI), GMC Jammu on Thursday.

The Nuclear Medicine team, headed by Prof Ashutosh Gupta, Principal GMC Jammu, who is himself a well- known cancer specialist, performed the first PET Scan.

“Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Administrative Secretary Health and Medical Education (H&ME), himself a medico, has been instrumental making this high-end facility functional. This has been a landmark achievement not only for Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu but also for the people of Jammu region who were suffering a lot due to non- availability of this vital facility, which is must to treat and monitor cancer patients,” Dr Ashutosh said.

“The new PET scan machine procured at a cost of Rs 13 Cr by J&K Medical Supply Corporation is the latest generation PET scan by Wipro GE company Discovery IQ. The model installed has highest NEMA sensitivity and quantitation accuracy which ultimately provides enhanced patient care, comfort and satisfaction,” Dr Ashutosh informed.

He stated that the PET CT would soon be linked with radiation therapy machines to be installed in the State Cancer Institute so that all radiation planning would be done on PET based imaging. “This will make radiation treatment very precise and accurate,” Dr Ashutosh said.

A total of four PET scans were done today. Dr Deepak Kumar, Medical Superintendent of State Cancer Institute supervised the whole procedure.

The other team members from Nuclear Medicine and Radiodiagnosis specialty, who formed part of this landmark moment, included Dr Rahul Sharma, Prof Kulbhushan Gupta, Dr Rajeev Gupta, Dr Abdul Waheed, Dr Sudheer Sharma, Sumaira, Lata besides other supportive staff.

Regarding the State Cancer Institute, Dr Ashutosh said, “It is a very prestigious project funded by the Government of India at a cost of Rs 104 Cr.”

“Efforts are being undertaken to keep the user charges for PET scan and other facilities at State Cancer Institute at a very affordable level so that poor patients can utilize the facilities,” he said.

Notably, on June 20, during his maiden visit to J&K after taking reins for the third time, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually dedicated to the nation advanced health care facilities viz., Bio-Safety Level-3 (BSL-3) and Genome Sequencing lab; PET CT Scan, High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy etc., costing Rs 24 Cr, at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu.

These advanced health care facilities were part of the multiple development projects in J&K worth more than Rs 500 Cr, encompassing the sectors of road, water supply, health and higher education infrastructure.

Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET CT) Scan is an imaging test to detect early signs of cancer and other diseases.