Thiruvananthapuram, which has gained the undesirable tag of being the nation’s breast cancer capital, could soon benefit from the efforts of an organisation that would aid early detection of the disease.
The Rotary Club of Trivandrum Kowdiar is planning to install a modern digital mammography unit at the Government District Model Hospital in Peroorkada. At present, the Regional Cancer Centre alone offers the digital mammogram facility. However, the huge overload on their facilities and a waiting period of over six months has prompted authorities to restrict its use for planning surgeries.
On the other hand, the Government Medical College possesses a basic analogue mammogram facility, which can cater only to a limited number of patients.
P. Mangalanandan, a cardiologist and the president of the organisation, said that routine mammography, which was highly recommended, was not promoted owing to the lack of infrastructure at public health institutions. Besides, private hospitals and other diagnostic centres in the city charged rates ranging from ₹1,470 to ₹2,000 for the use of their analogue mammography units.
Under the circumstances, the Rotary Club has decided to procure a ₹1.2-crore mammography unit, the use of which will be charged ₹500. The organisation has also proposed to employ five workers, including a radiographer and attenders, exclusively for handling the facility. Besides, the radiologist at the Government District Model Hospital will be provided an incentive for every use.
Apt location
Besides ensuring easy accessibility for city residents, the Peroorkada hospital also served many people from other parts of the district. With the Government Medical College generally being crowded, the hospital was deemed to be an apt location for establishing the unit, K. Muraleedhara Kurup, past president of the organisation, said.
The paucity in generating the required funds has, however, thrown a spanner into the realisation of the project. The club has obtained assurances of contributions amounting to ₹63 lakh as of now.
These included an allocation of ₹25 lakh that has been made by the Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE) under its corporate social responsibility funds. The interest evinced by Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac towards the project has also come as a boost.