Pet scan machines crucial for determining cancer spread at both the National Hospital and Maharagama Apeksha Hospital have experienced breakdowns, causing treatment delays for hundreds of patients.
At the National Hospital, the pet scan machine has stopped functioning due to the lack of necessary drugs, and its maintenance period has expired, leaving 400 patients on the waiting list. Maharagama Apeksha Hospital, equipped with five Linear Accelerator machines for cancer treatment, faces issues as two machines have broken down.
Daily radiation treatments for about 90 patients are completely halted. The breakdown of the two Pet Scan examination machines at the National Hospital and Maharagama Apeksha Hospital has brought Pet Scan examinations for cancer patients to a standstill for about two months. The halt in Pet Scan tests, essential for accurately determining cancer speed and spread, poses significant difficulties for patients. The waiting lists for Pet Scan tests at both hospitals currently extend to four months.
The Government Radiological Technology Officers Association expresses concern about the impact on pediatric cancer patients and the limitations on daily radiation treatments provided by Maharagama Cancer Hospital.
