Bhopal AIIMS Drops Plan For Second LINAC Machine

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): AIIMS, Bhopal, has dropped the plan for installation of the proposed second LINAC machine. However, AIIMS Bhopal has been waiting for dual Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machines since 2018-19. In 2018, one LINAC machine was installed in one of the two bunkers developed for the dual system. Since then, the second machine has not been installed.

“We will not go for second LINAC machine as it has already one which is functioning. We will have PET scan and Gamma Knife worth Rs 70 crore by March next year. PET scan will be functional by December end. Only installation does not serve purpose so we need experts to run it so we will not go for second LINAC machine in AIIMS.

The facility will provide chemotherapy, surgery, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, mental health counselling and stem cell treatment, ” AIIMS deputy director (DDA) Sandesh Jain said.

In fact, AIIMS has been waiting for Gamma Knife and PET scan, which are advanced equipment for cancer patient treatment. A planned 200-bed centralised oncology centre/cancer block is under construction to handle the heavy patient load under one roof, integrating advanced diagnostics like PET-CT and Gamma Knife therapy.

At present, there is a long waiting period ranging from 3-4 months for diagnostic tests such as CT scans and MRIs. This centralised block is being developed to spare patients from these difficulties. More than 36,000 cancer patients visit AIIMS Bhopal annually, with the majority arriving from other districts.

Madhya Pradesh health department has procured four LINAC machines in four medical colleges - Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Rewa. They will be functional in the next 6 months.