Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 10: The mammography machine at Capital Hospital, which has been lying defunct for years, has raised concerns at a time when a new cancer detection wing has been established.
The inability of the hospital authorities to use the mammography machine has hit women patients as it is crucial for the detection of breast cancer.
Nearly four lakh persons have been suffering from various types of cancer in the state, according to the latest data on the disease. The number of people affected by cancer has been rapidly increasing with 60,000 new cases being recorded by various health institutions in the state every year. The mortality due to cancer stands at 15,000 per year in the state.
The machine assumes significance in this regard as mammography played a critical role in the early detection of breast cancer. “This is a very rare machine and extremely helpful in the early detection of breast cancer, which is the most prevalent in state after oral cancer. Capital Hospital has housed a number of costly and good machines but there has been no effort from the authorities concerned to recruit staff to run those machines,” said a senior doctor here on the request of anonymity.
Another staff member of the hospital said the machine has been locked in a room for many years and raised doubts about whether it would be usable now.
“The defunct mammography machine can easily give people an idea of the ability of Capital Hospital to run the newly opened cancer detection unit,” he said.
“The machine was donated to us by a person long ago. As we have no staff to run the machine, it has lying defunct for years,” said Binod Mishra, the superintendent of Capital Hospital.
