Thousands of cancer patients in the state may get their lifesaving treatment in four premier state-run medical colleges now equipped with radiotherapy units. These teaching hospitals are NRS, R G Kar, SSKM and Medical College Hospital (MCH) in the city.

Mamata Banerjee government has bought five ‘latest and highest version’ linear accelerator machines or LINAC machines for NRS, R G Kar and MCH and all these hi-end equipment will be functional for patients within four or five months. Each machine costs more than Rs 15 crore. “Five machines have already been brought from US and they are lying at the radiotherapy units of NRS, R G Kar and MCH.

The sixth machine for SSKM will be brought soon. With the installation of these life-saving medical devices thousands of cancer patients will get treatment at these hospitals at a very affordable price,” a senior official at Swasthya Bhaban said.

A LINAC is a highly expensive machine that customizes high energy x-rays or electrons to conform to a tumour shape and destroy cancer cells while sparing surrounding normal tissue. It features several built-in safety measures to ensure that it will not deliver a higher dose than prescribed and routinely checked by a concerned doctor ensure it is working properly.

“Civil construction work is going on for the installation of the two machines in our hospital. It may take four to five months to make the LINAC operational for patients,” professor (Dr) Subir Ganguly, head of radiotherapy unit at R G Kar hospital. The official at Swasthya Bhaban said that the canceraffected patients cough up rupees in lakhs for treatment in private healthcare.

“But they will spend a paltry amount of money in the four government hospitals after the installation of these machines. Hardly two or three hospitals in the country have this type of latest model of machines so far,” the official said. “Both doctors and technicians will have to update their skill to handle these machines.

Experts of the US-based manufacturing company of these machines will come to train our doctors and technicians how to operate them,” he said requesting anonymity. Some experts in radiooncology in the city felt that a government hospital with radiotherapy unit in the state gets around 4000 new cases every year.

“According to WHO, India is going to be a global cancer capital by 2025. In Bengal around 80,000 new cancer cases are reported every year in Bengal. With installations of these machines in the four government hospitals will definitely help cancer patient get treatment at a very low price,” one of the radio-oncologists said. “There will also be a huge rush of cancer patients from private healthcare providers to these four hospitals for treatment,” he said requesting anonymity.