Times of India Writes :
In the largest expansion ever since it began patient care in 2013, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS Bhubaneswar is all set to add 300 beds, begin radiation services for cancer patients and open Amrit (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) outlet to sell medical equipment at an affordable rate within the next two to three months.
“The hospital currently has 500 beds. It will go up to 800 soon. Some of the hospital buildings are in advanced stages of completion and would be put to use soon. With that the hospital beds will increase by 300,” said Dr Dilip Parida, medical superintendent of the hospital.
Parida said AIIMS will also offer radiation services very soon. “Orders have been placed for equipment worth Rs 50 crore for radiation services such as linear accelerator. Computed tomography simulators and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy (in which radiation is given to cancerous cells from inside the tumours). Man power is already in place. The service should start within three months,” Parida told TOI.
Parida said the best part of brachytherapy is that it can be done as an OPD procedure. Currently, AIIMS offers only chemotherapy to cancer patients besides most diagnosis services for cancer. It has so far offered services to 22,000 cancer patients, he said.