The Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner to be installed at the Apeksha Cancer Hospital Maharagama which was purchased by public contribution arrived in Sri Lanka on January 21at 7 p.m via Qatar Airways flight QR 8642. The President of the Kadijah Foundation and Founder Fight Cancer Team M S H Mohammed said, “The PET Scanner has finally arrived in Sri Lanka after a lot of effort put into it. We are very happy as it will benefit many patients suffering from cancer who cannot afford to take private scans. The scanner is to be installed under the recommendations of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board in a separate building at Apeksha Hospital. Our target is to make the Maharagama Hospital the best in South Asia by 2022,” he said.
“The High Tech state-of-the-art machine which costs around Rs. 202 million is a ‘Siemens’ brand product of Germany with a capacity of performing over 100 scans per month. It would take nearly a month to instal the machine and the patients could receive the service from March. The construction work of the new building in Apeksha Hospital where the PET Scanner would be mounted will be ready by February end,” he said.
The PET scanner is used to observe the metabolic processes in the body by detecting pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer), introduced into the body in a biologically active molecule. Apart from cancer detection, PET scanners can also detect heart problems, brain disorders and problems related to the central nervous system.As Apeksha Cancer Hospital is the only government hospital for cancer patients in Sri Lanka, a great number of patients are admitted daily, but are not able to receive the right treatment or medication due to the unavailability of adequate machines. There are various types of cancers that have led to the deaths of many due to the unavailability of proper treatment and equipment in the country. Leukemia, brain cancer, lymphoma, cancers of the eye and adnexa, bones, joints and articular cartilage of limbs, connective subcutaneous and other soft tissues, thyroid, ovary, and adrenal gland are the most commonly treated cancers.
“The Apeksha Hospital is still in need of several other pieces of equipment, as even the existing ones are rusted or not up to date. The Hospital’s CT scanner is now over 15 years old while MRI scanners, ultrasound machines, bronchoscopes and genetic laboratory equipment are also very much in need.
As we have now provided the hospital with a PET scanner, we hope to supply them with the above items as well. This is our next mission. We hope that together with public and corporate support, we can achieve these things soon and help save countless lives,” Mohamed said.