HFH gets 15 probes for cancer treatment
Holy Family Hospital, one of the government hospitals where 115 regular employees on work permits are awaiting their salaries PHOTO: RAWALPINDI MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
After the installation of a cryoablation machine, 15 probes have reached Holy Family Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients. Each probe, costing Rs1.6 million, will be used for one patient.
The process of filtering cases of patients suffering from liver, lung, breast and kidney cancer has been started at four hospitals in Rawalpindi.
According to details, patients suffering from breast, lung, liver and kidney cancer whose cancer tumour is up to two centimetres in size can be treated through the cryoablation machine.
For this purpose, cancer tumour cells found in the four organs will first be frozen at a temperature of minus 180 degrees Celsius.
Once the cancer cells are frozen and rendered ineffective, they will be heated to a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius and burnt.
This will enable patients suffering from breast, lung, liver and kidney cancer to get rid of the disease.
In this regard, a formal circular has been issued to Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital and Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) Rawalpindi, directing them to filter cases of patients suffering from the four types of cancer whose tumour size is up to two centimetres and send their cases to Holy Family Hospital.
Before treatment is started on the cryoablation machine at Holy Family Hospital, consultation will be sought from doctors at Noor Hospital Islamabad.
After this, the treatment process of patients found fit for cancer treatment will be started.
Sources said that in the first phase, 15 probes have been handed over to Holy Family Hospital for 15 cancer patients who are to be treated through the cryoablation machine. One probe, costing Rs1.6 million, will be used for each patient.
Complete cancer treatment through the cryoablation machine will be provided free of charge and no fee will be charged. Coordination between Noor Hospital and Holy Family Hospital has also started in this regard.
Medical Superintendent of Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi Dr Ijaz Butt said the protection and maintenance of the cryoablation machine would be the responsibility of the company that installed the machine at Holy Family Hospital. Security cameras are also being installed for the protection of the machine.