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A new Radiotherapy Machine Needed for SIUT’s Oncology Center

SIUT will need to add a new radiotherapy machine within the next 2 years, and is currently planning funding of this purchase.

SIUT started as a small 8 bedded unit in 1972 has now developed into a Center of Excellence offering dialysis, lithotripsy, transplantation and other related services, all under one roof. Patients from all over Pakistan come to SIUT due to the fact that either treatment facilities are generally not available, or are too expensive for them in the private sector. In 2016 over 1.75 million patients were treated free of cost at SIUT and its 9 satellite centers. The number of patients is perpetually increasing with the passage of time, because all of them would have been unable to avail of treatment elsewhere owing to the high cost in the private sector.

The oncology services at SIUT started in 1989. The inception of dedicated oncology service has resulted in increasing number of cases reporting with urological malignancies bladder, kidney, prostate, testicular and post-transplant cancers. To cater to such a large number of patients, there was a need for a dedicated cancer hospital. In May 2002 Suleman Dawood family pledged to construct Hanifa Suleman Dawood Oncology Centre to cater to urological and post-transplant malignancies, and started its services in 2006.

SIUT’s oncology team consists of leading oncological urologists, medical and radiation oncologists, backed with the support of radiology and laboratory providing cutting edge technology to diagnose and treat cancer patients. The oncology unit is well supported by the departments of general surgery, gastroenterology, pulmonary, infectious disease and cardiology. SIUT also has dedicated nursing, nutritional and psychiatric services for the patients and an upto date onco-pharmacy to fulfill the needs in this rapidly changing field. Apart from radiotherapy, chemotherapy, brachytherapy, SIUT has recently installed PET-CT scanner the first one in the country to provide free services to diagnose caner.

The radiotherapy unit is equipped with two linear accelerators which are used to treat cancer machines through radiation to kill cancer cells or damage them so they cannot grow or multiply. The first one has completed its life while the second machine is not able to meet the workload of the patients. It is an old model that will complete its life within a couple of years. SIUT needs a new model of linear accelerator which is a fully integrated system for image guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery. It can treat cancer anywhere in the body with rigorous precision, real time targeting the tumour cells and high-speed technology. The machine costs around US$ 4 million with three years warranty with parts.

SIUT North America is raising funds to help procurement of the new Radiotherapy machine.


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