Aizawl, Sep 24 : Equipped with the state-of-the art equipment and manned by highly qualified and dedicated oncologists, Mizoram State Cancer Institute (MSCI) is all set to become one of the destinations of cancer patients from across the country.
The rise in number of cancer cases in Mizoram over the years has been extremely disturbing. In fact, the reason behind this rise in number of cancer cases in this tiny hill state is apparently due to extensive use tobacco and tobacco products by the people here.
Over the years, the state government and individuals alike have spent huge amount of money on treatment of cancer as most the cancer patients had to be taken to centres like Mumbai, Delhi, Vellore, Kolkata, Guwahati and other metros as there is neither cancer treatment equipment nor qualified doctors to treat cancer patients in Mizoram.
With the setting up of the MSCI and procurement of sophisticated equipment - both for diagnosis and treatment - sending most cancer patients to other hospitals across the country may soon become a thing of the past.
MSCI director K Lalbiakzuala said they have recently procured Big bore CT Scanner with simulator from Phillips, Holland, which has been installed at the MSCI in Aizawl.
Lalbiakzuala said this advanced technology will be used to increase the accuracy of radiation therapy on the cancer cells, while avoiding destruction of healthy tissues surrounding the cancer in patients. This besides, he said it can be used as a diagnostic equipment like any other CT Scanner.
Another equipment newly installed at MSCI is the Fully Automated Blood Cell Separator. This equipment, which is made in Germany, is the only one of its kind to be installed in the northeast.
Dr Jeremy L Pautu, the insitute's head of the medical oncology department, said the equipment can separate blood platelets, plasma, white blood cells and stem cells and provide the exact requirement of the patient while returning the rest to the donor.
"The blood component extracted from one donor by this Blood Cell Separator is equivalent to that from six donors without the equipment," Dr Pautu said adding that the donor could donate blood again within three days while in a normal blood donation a donor has to wait for at least three months to donate blood again.
The other two newly procured equipment included Tissue Processor with Vacuum Function and Fully Motorized Microtome". The two equipment would help in early and accurate diagnosis of cancer, vital for accurate treatment of the patients, Dr Pautu said.
"We already have patients being treated at the MSCI from neighbouring states," said Dr Lalbiakzuala. He expressed optimism that the MSCI would soon become a hub for cancer patients where a large number of people would be cured of the dreaded disease.
Sources said the MSCI is being invited to work together with a number of agencies, both in the country and abroad. These include the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), European Society for Medical Encology-Emerging Countries Committee (ESMO-ECC), the Jiv DAYA Foundation, USA, Advance Centre for Treatment, Research and Education on Cancer (ACTREC) of Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai, Indian Association for Cancer Research (IACR), National Cancer Grid (NCG) and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) etc.
Lalbiakzuala said Mizoram health minister Lalrinliana Sailo has played a pivotal role behind setting up the MSCI by declaring full-scale war against cancer and AIDS.
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