20000403

Kiran with latest

equipment to

start functioning

by month-end

KARACHI: The installation of most modern and state of the art equipment, including a linear accelerator has started at the Karachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (Kiran) and its commissioning is expected to be completed by the end of April 2000, after which Kiran would become the most advanced nuclear medicine and cancer treatment centre in the South Asian region.

The Kiran hospital is expected to treat 20,000 patients a year in various areas of nuclear medicine.

This was stated by Dr. Shahid Kamal, Director Kiran and JPMC Atomic Energy Medicine Centre, while talking to reporters here on Saturday.

Kiran has been initiated by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in collaboration with the Federal and Sindh governments to set up a comprehensive and most modern nuclear medicine and radiotherapy institute for the diagnostic and treatment of cancer and other diseases at a total cost of Rs 487 million.

This includes a Sindh government share of Rs 77.45 million for civil and construction works, while federal government share was Rs 408.85 million.

Dr. Shahid Kamal said that essential equipment like Cobalt-60 Teletherapy machine, single head digital Gamma camera, Radio Ñ therapy simulator, treatment planning system, disimetry system and some essential laboratory equipment are already functioning.

The other facilities, he said, at Kiran includes a radio oncology department, echocardiography machine, mammography equipment to detect breast cancer, high dose rate brachytherapy machine a computerised treatment planning system, deep X-ray machine. Signal equipment for heart-lung studies, rectilinear scanners, a renography and radio immuno assay (RIA) laboratory including gamma counters, centrifuges, tissue culture facility and a freeze-drying system.

Dr. Shahid Kamal said that Kiran has acquired the most modern equipment for radiotherapy and radiation oncology services. We have installed a completely computerised treatment planning system besides a treadmill device with an advanced ECG system.

He said the nuclear medicine is now considered indispensable in the field of medicine. In helps in early detection of brain tumours, epilepsy & stroke, and in detecting and measuring cancer response to treatment.ÑPR