Chandigarh, May 18, 2015: A high definition endoscopic system of around Rs 60 lakhs has been installed in Department of Medical Gastroenterology, PGIMS, Rohtak which is very beneficial in detecting cancer of gastrointestinal tract at an early stage. The Haryana government is, in collaboration with PGIMS authorities, playing a very vital role in providing free of cost improved medical services to the needy patients.
While stating this today, Dr. Parveen Malhotra, Head, Department of Medical Gastroenterology, said that there are many patients suffering from such cancer and daily about 3-4 patients, especially of carcinoma esophagus are detected endoscopically in his department. Therefore, he said that he was himself maintaining, a round-the-clock, India’s first endoscopy helpline (9671000017) whereby needy patients are given required consultation and endoscopy date, that too is done within 24 hours. Around 35 endoscopic procedures are done daily free of cost and there has been no waiting list for last five years, when the department was established, he added.
Moreover, an Argon Plasma Coagulation machine costing around Rs 10 lakhs has also been installed, which would prove helpful in controlling bleeding due to various reasons like ulcers, radiation proctitis and vascular ectasia .Patients in private set up spend thousands of rupees for these procedures but at Gastroenterology department, it would be totally free of cost and without any waiting period, he added.
He said that the order for purchase of Fibroscan machine, costing around Rs 1.08 crore has already been placed and within few days it would be installed. At present this facility is available only at selected government hospitals like AIIMS, PGIMER Chandigarh or big corporate hospitals. Fibroscan is helpful in detecting the extent of liver damage without taking liver biopsy, which has its own complications. The needy patients would now get benefit of this latest advanced technique free of cost. Other machines which are under process of purchase include double balloon Enteroscopy, Capsule endoscopy and Pediatric endoscopy, he added.
He said that patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C are getting new lease of life due to Jeevan Rekha project of the state government. Further elaborating about it, Dr. Parveen Malhotra, Principal Nodal officer of Jeevan Rekha project, said that under this project, till now approximately 1,150 patients have been enrolled on free scheme for Scheduled Castes or Below Poverty Line category and 500 on subsidized rate group (only Rs 70,000 for whole course), out of this 650 patients have completed their treatment successfully, which makes PGIMS, Rohtak, one of the selected centers in India where such huge number of patients are being treated at on time and that too with massive success.
A round-the-clock, dedicated hepatitis C helpline has also been opened for needy patients (08950012900), he added. / (SK Vyas, Jalandhar)