Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda on Thursday inaugurated the Centre for Advanced Bladder Diagnostics and PET-CT and SPECT-CT facilities at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi.
During his visit, the Union Health Minister also inspected the Heart Command Centre and the Sports Injury Centre at Safdarjung Hospital and reviewed the services and activities being undertaken at the facilities.
The Centre for Advanced Bladder Diagnostics has been established in the Department of Urology with an integration of Video Urodynamics (VUDS) and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)-based brain mapping.
According to the Health Ministry, the approach is being attempted for the first time in India. It will enable detailed assessment of bladder function and help in diagnosing urinary bladder disorders, including complex cases associated with neurological conditions.
The integration of VUDS with NIRS-based brain mapping will allow assessment of changes in cerebral blood oxygenation during bladder filling and emptying. This could help clinicians determine whether a bladder disorder is primarily bladder-related, neurological or a combination of both.
The Centre is expected to cater to around 5,000 patients annually and strengthen specialised urological diagnostic services at the hospital.
PET-CT and SPECT-CT facilities
The newly installed PET-CT and SPECT-CT facilities in the Department of Nuclear Medicine are expected to strengthen diagnostic services in areas including cancer care, cardiology, neurology, renal diseases and endocrinology.
The PET-CT facility will support cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment planning and follow-up, besides providing advanced imaging for specialised therapies.
The facility will also support multidisciplinary treatment involving Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Hematology, Urology, Nephrology and Pediatric Oncology.
The SPECT-CT facility will strengthen diagnostic evaluation for cardiac, renal, endocrine, orthopaedic and gastrointestinal conditions.
The advanced Nuclear Medicine services are expected to benefit around 600 to 700 patients annually and will be provided at an affordable cost.
Focus on timely completion of projects
During a detailed review of the functioning and ongoing projects at Safdarjung Hospital, Nadda emphasised the need for regular review and periodic inspection of projects in the pipeline.
He stressed the importance of setting practical and achievable timelines to ensure timely completion and implementation of projects.
The Health Minister also appreciated the distinct identity and reputation that Safdarjung Hospital has developed over the years, noting that the institution has established a unique standing in the healthcare sector.
The new facilities are expected to strengthen specialised healthcare infrastructure at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment planning and support multidisciplinary patient care.
The facilities will also contribute to postgraduate education and training and expand access to specialised diagnostic and therapeutic services, particularly for patients from economically disadvantaged sections of society.
