Mangaluru: Chemotherapy services to begin soon at Wenlock Hospital

Team Udayavani, Dec 18, 2024, 2:25 PM IST

Mangaluru: In a move to provide affordable cancer care, Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru is gearing up to establish a chemotherapy unit. This initiative aims to offer free treatment to cancer patients, sparing them the high costs charged by private super-speciality hospitals. The state government plans to launch the Day Care Chemotherapy Unit shortly.

There has been a long-standing demand for a chemotherapy facility at Wenlock Hospital. The government has now approved this proposal.

Initially, the plan was to set up the unit in the first floor of the OPD block of the old building. However, to make it more accessible for cancer patients, the unit will now function in the hospital’s Jail Ward.

Due to the absence of oncologists in district hospitals, the government is collaborating with private medical colleges to ensure the facility is operational soon.

The new chemotherapy division will have five beds each for male and female patients.

Launch Expected in a Few Weeks

Dr. Shivakumar, the Superintendent of Wenlock Hospital, stated, “The state government is committed to providing free chemotherapy services for cancer patients. Space allocation for the new unit has been completed, and the initiative is expected to commence in just a few weeks.”

Plans for a Cath Lab

In addition to the chemotherapy unit, the Dakshina Kannada district administration is preparing to set up a Cardiac Catheterization Lab (Cath Lab) for advanced diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases. The lab is likely to be established in the newly constructed state-of-the-art Surgical Block of Wenlock Hospital. Services provided will match the standards of Jayadeva Hospital in Bengaluru, offering the same quality care at comparable rates.

Translated version of Kannada article by Naveen Bhat Ilanthila