ISLAMABAD: The Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI) Hospital, being run by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, has become the first public sector hospital in the country to treat cancer through cyber-knife method.
The facility was inaugurated by Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, here the other day. Speaking on the occasion, the IAEA DG said the global nuclear technology watchdog intended to expand cooperation to Pakistan in different fields, especially in its efforts to provide the latest treatment facilities to cancer patients.
The IAEA DG hoped that the newly-inaugurated Cyber knife facility was multiplying theuropic capacities in Pakistan to treat cancer patients. He said the IAEA had launched a global programme called, “Rays of Hope” more than a year ago, which was aimed at increasing the availability of radiotherapy facilities in particular in developing countries, with a huge deficit in this area.
Rafael said that ‘Rays of Hope’ project was aimed at bringing radiotherapy facilities for those who did not have it. “Pakistan has top-notch facilities in NORI and wonderful professionals to treat cancer patients, while many other countries lack such facilities,” he said, adding, “This hospital in Pakistan is equipped with the latest technology and has the potential to even extend this facility to the other countries.”
Referring to the example of Africa, he said that 70 percent population in that country lacked access to radiotherapy facilities. “Although we have been focusing on Covid-19 pandemic in the past but cancer is one of those diseases which are tremendously affecting largest population globally. IAEA is trying to correct such imbalances to improve the healthcare facilities in the world,” he added.
He acknowledged the contribution of the team of the NORI hospital especially a good number of women professionals who were doing immensely excellent job in providing state-of-the-art treatment facilities to cancer patients and hoped that “We intend to further increase our cooperation in future.” He also highlighted the IAEA’s assistance in strengthening cancer hospitals in developing countries to provide treatment to patients at par with international standards.
The DG IAEA was also briefed about the role of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission’s 19 cancer hospitals established in all provinces of Pakistan that were shouldering the responsibility of diagnosing and treating over 80 percent of the country’s cancer-affected patients in line with the IAEA’s slogan – “Cancer Care for All.”
“I am glad to see the latest facilities at the Commission’s NORI hospital. I am pleased to see a lot of women working in NORI in the field of nuclear oncology,” he said. With the inauguration of this facility, NORI became the first public sector cancer hospital in the country to provide Cyber knife treatment.
The initiative aims at contributing to the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goal-3 (SDG-3) i.e. Good Health and Well-Being.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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