Provincial Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed has said that Pakistan has always been a strong supporter of the peaceful uses of the nuclear technology for human well-being and its effective use in health sector as the treatment for poor and the suffering patients of deadly cancer is a blessing and miracle in developing countries like Pakistan.
He expressed these views on Wednesday during the inaugural ceremony of the upgraded Institute of Atomic Energy Medical Center (AEMC) under Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), at its new venue in Jinnah Hospital. AEMC is one of the most modern and state-of-the-art medical center offering a comprehensive range of medical imaging and therapeutic services including Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Radioimmunoassay, Gamma Cameras and conventional laboratory setup.
This is the first center in Pakistan, which also has CT-SPECT facility in the country. The total cost of the project is Rs 602 million as it started in 2007 and completed in 2011 on Wednesday. The three-floor hospital has a covered area of 73,000 sq ft on a plot of 77,000 sq ft graciously provided by JPMC and Ministry of Health.
The capabilities of the center would be extended from 300 daily patients furthermore, after up-gradation of the modern and state of the art center for cancer treatment. On this occasion PAEC Chairman, Ansar Parvez, Director (AEMC)Shahid Kamal were also present.
The minister while referring figures of a study that there is a steady increase in the number of newly diagnosed cases of the cancer and this number is expected to be double by 2030 which show clearly the seriousness of the problem. Ahmed said it is no doubt that Pakistan had gained a landmark achievement through Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission for the betterment of people of Pakistan.
He said that he is glad to know that PAEC presently is running 14 Nuclear Medical and Oncology Hospitals which are serving the around 500,000 patients annually and these are providing free of cost services to the poor. There are six medical centers in Sindh, two in Karachi and rest in the Jamshoro, Larkana, Nawabshah.
He said that this is a great service to our masses and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission deserves special recognition and appreciation. Earlier, Chairman PAEC, Ansar Parvez said since PAEC its inception more then 50 years, has continuously endeavoured to develop peaceful use of nuclear technology in the fields of electrical energy, health, agriculture and industry besides its services are in the area of national defence having great importance of the country.
The chairman said that with the passage of time, the equipment becomes obsolete and newer technologies and better machines are introduced, however, this newly center offers state-of-the-art facilities in the fields of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Therapy in addition to other allied facilities to the suffering population in Karachi.
Ansar Parvez thanked the JPMC administration for providing the land and extending excellent co-operation with PAEC in setting up this facility. The Director of AEMC at JPMC, Dr Shahid Kamal said the center consists of departments of Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Radiation Oncology, gamma cameras, clinical and Radioimmunoassay laboratory.
The Nuclear Medicine department is equipped with six state of the art gamma cameras, and the first CT SPECT facility in the country. Diagnosis of thyroid, bone, heart, kidney, lung and brain ailments are routinely made. It is also equipped with thyroid uptake system, cardiac stress systems, hot lab and reporting unit.
The Radiation Oncology department has been set up with two state of the art Linear Accelerators capable of delivering multi-energy photon and electron therapies. Multi-leaf collimator allows for Conformal and Image Modulated Radiation Therapy. An official while talking to Business Recorder said that the center provides the most concessional rates for tests. Even the most costly test is charged only Rs 2,500 while the market rate of that test is around Rs 20,000 to 25,000. Later, the minister presented the souvenirs to the PAEC chairman Ansar Parvez, Director AEMC, Shahid Kamal, Executive Director JPMC Tasneem Hasan, PAEC Project Director South Sher Nawaz Abbasi.