Proton Therapy in India’s Public Health System
Proton Therapy: Assam is the first state in the country to introduce proton therapy with a public healthcare system. The government has announced plans to secure a 500 crore therapy machine.
The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, made this announcement during a media conference at the start of the new year. He said that radiological equipment in medical technology has been introduced for cancer care.
Proton therapy, a radiotherapy technology used for cancer treatment, uses high-energy proton beams to kill tumors. Traditional radiation therapy uses X-rays to kill the cancer cells, but it also damages the healthy tissues in the surroundings. Proton therapy, which was initiated in Assam state, focuses on accurate radiation therapy by minimizing the damage to healthy cells.
Selective private hospitals in India have these therapy machines, such as the Tata Memorial Center and Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.
This technology, introduced by Assam, is the first and beneficial for treating various cancers and brain tumors that are located in sensitive and vital organs.
Proton therapy machines are going to be a breakthrough in cancer care across the Northeast and beyond. Many patients across the cities were not able to access cancer treatments before because they were limited to private hospitals only.
Bringing these therapy options into the public sector will make a huge difference by enabling financial accessibility for patients.
Medical professionals believe that this initiative will help better patient outcomes by reducing side effects to the patients. Oncologists can also experiment by increasing the radiation dosage to suppress the tumor cells by preventing damage to healthy tissues.
Assam is going to be the emerging medical tourism hub with the advanced oncology facilities in the government settings, allowing neighboring states and countries to also get treated in Assam.
Proton therapy treatment is the first initiative in Assam, but it also also invested in medical colleges, hospitals, and diagnostics over the past few years.
The initiative will also offer various career opportunities for clinicians, radiologists, and oncologists who are exploring the research field to offer different treatment plans that are not available in public hospitals before.
Assam, with the procurement of a proton therapy machine, will create a benchmark for innovation in public healthcare.
