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To strengthen the public healthcare system, Cama and Albless Hospital, Fort, on March 1, opened its palliative care centre (PCC) for cancer patients. Apart from this, the hospital has also planned to start providing brachytherapy, where cancer is treated by placing radioactive sources directly inside or near tumours, to ensure precise radiation treatment to the patients.

No donors for sperm bank

>> Despite being started in November last year, the hospital hasn`t seen a single sperm donor in the last four months.

The recently opened  palliative care centre for patients in the cancer ward

“If you donate sperm in a private hospital, you earn lakhs. We assume that since we do not pay the donors, no one is willing to donate sperm here,” said Palve.

>> However, on the other hand, though one can earn Rs 25,000 per setting, the hospital has picked up four ova, four frozen embryos and has already successfully transferred one embryo. “We are now just waiting for the lady to give us the good news!” said Palve.

What is brachytherapy?

It is a type of radiation therapy where a small radioactive source is placed inside or near a tumour to deliver targeted radiation.  It’s commonly used for cancers like cervical, prostate, and breast cancer

The recently opened  palliative care centre for patients in the cancer ward

Types: HDR (high dose rate), LDR (low dose rate), and PDR (pulsed dose rate)

Benefits: Precise radiation delivery, reduced side effects, and shorter treatment time

Uses: Often used alone or with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), according to Vice-Dean Tushar Palve

Paid nursing home

The hospital’s paid nursing home facility

The hospital has earned at least Rs 48.6 lakh in the last three years since the paid nursing home facility began. “Its not that only the poor come to public hospitals. People who can make subsidised payments also visit the public hospitals. Also, especially after the pandemic, we observed that people demanded beds to be kept at a decent distance. Which is why we gave this idea a spin, and it worked wonders. Per day, the patients are charged R600 for the first seven days of admission and Rs 2000 from the eighth. Someone rarely needs admission for more than a week. But in any case, both rates are very well subsidised. There is no difference in the medical facilities in a regular ward and in this paid ward,” shared Palve.

Palliative care centre

>> Beds in PCC – 5
>> Social health workers, consultants – 1 each
>> Psychological counsellors – 1
>> Physiotherapists – 1 (at least)
>> Medicines – Morphine/Buprenorphine, other pain relieving medicine, laxatives, emollients, antiemetics, antiseptics, and dressing materials

Cssd to begin next month

Aiming at ensuring that no patients face infection problems during their treatment, the hospital is set to begin its own central sterile supply department from next month.
The equipment procured:
>> Washer, ultrasonic cleaner, drying cabinet, spray gun rinser, sterilisers (steam, flash), beat sealing machine, RO plant, automatic endoscope washer – 1 each
>> Modular sterilisation wire basket – 20
>> Instrument storage rack – 10