Post-Covid19 revival: Agartala Cancer Hosp may become medical tourism hub
#Jaydip Chakrabarti
Medical tourism in Tripura, hitherto under explored, has got a silent but strong pat with the introduction of PET Scan facility at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Regional Cancer Hospital in Agartala. Moreover, two Onco-surgeons have been appointed to harness capacity to deliver quality health care to critical patients.
“After an agonizing wait for quite a long time, Positron emission tomography – commonly known as Pet Scan - facility has been installed in the Hospital on January 5 last. Now, trial runs are being conducted”, Cancer Hospital sources said on condition of anonymity.
However, success of PET Scan facility is now dependent on it trial runs. If everything remains okay, the facility is expected to become operational soon, a highly placed source commented.
Once it completes trial runs successfully, this advanced testing facility will help medical experts to understand behavior and functioning of tissues and organs of a patient. It will make disease detection before it shows up possible in many cases, Hospital sources said.
It is leant that earlier, several patients had to go to other States to PET scan as Cancer Hospital in Agartala did not have the facility.
“Now, willing patients may skip going to outside and prefer to conduct PET Scan at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Regional Cancer Hospital in Agartala”, Hospital sources said.
Informed sources also said, introduction of this facility may attract patients from neighbouring areas in Bangladesh as many Bangladeshi patients using Agartala Airport fly to Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. PET Scan facility will bring great reliefs – both from financial and physical perspectives - to patients of this region.
In addition to strengthening diagnostic services, treatment of cancer patients has received a shot in its arm as two Onco-surgeons have been appointed. These surgeons are expected to join the hospital in current month.
Hospital sources said, “Two onco-surgeons are likely to join from the current month. One of them – Dr Ashesh Kumar Gupta would join as Associate Professor of Onco-surgery department of AGMC while the other one – Dr Pritesh Rajiv Singh would join AGMC as Assist Professor”.
Sources close to the Hospital said, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Regional Cancer Hospital in Agartala have comparatively efficient set up for Medical Oncology and Radiology – however, in absence of any regular Onco-surgeons, patients with surgical needs would have to go to other States and incur huge medical expenses.
“Once two Onco-surgeons join, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Regional Cancer Hospital in Agartala will be able to provide better treatment facilities to cancer stricken patients”, Hospital sources claimed.
Introduction of advanced diagnostic facility and services of Onco-surgeons has poised Atal Bihari Vajpayee Regional Cancer Hospital in Agartala a nerve center of Medical Tourism and it is pertinent that the Government as well as the State Tourism department start exploring medical tourism in post-Covid scenario, opined a senior journalist and tourism expert.
#Jaydip Chakrabarti may be contacted at [email protected]