Bhopal News: MP’s High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Machine Costs Double J&K Rate

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy machines to be installed in four medical colleges—Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, and Rewa—for cancer treatment in Madhya Pradesh cost more than double the rate of a similar machine installed at the state cancer institute in Jammu and Kashmir.

Both states are using the same cobalt version. HDR Brachytherapy delivers a high dose of radiation to cancer while sparing surrounding organs.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the machine was installed at Rs 3.6 crore, including taxes, in 2024, while in Madhya Pradesh, the rate is Rs 7.5 crore per college including taxes in 2025. Madhya Pradesh Public Health Services Corporation Limited (MPHSCL) fixed the rate for all four colleges.

In Jabalpur medical college, the machine is already installed. Orders for other colleges have been placed, but installation has not started as payment to the company is pending, sources said.

As for specifications, warranty in MP is just one year, while in J&K it is five years. Cobalt-60 HDR brachytherapy is a cost-effective alternative to Iridium-192, offering a longer half-life.

MPHSCL Chairman Mayank Agrawal told Free Press, “Specification may be different. Such machines come in cobalt and iridium versions. We purchased cobalt. Running cost of cobalt version is very low. For those who purchase our version, our rate is low.”