Despite the newly upgraded Regional Cancer Centre at Government Medical College Jammu receiving more than 1400 new cancer patients annually, the Centre has just one medical physicist to cater to the nearly 100 cancer patients daily who have to receive radiation in the hospital. Severely short of the manpower, the Centre has just 12 beds to cater to the huge rush, forcing it to refer the patients to other departments.

Sources in the hospital said that the Centre has two Cobalt radio therapy machines, one Radiation simulator and one Brachytherapy radiotherapy machine, but there is only one medical physicist to take care of the whole load of the patients.

This has led to huge problem for the lone medical physicist, who has to shuttle between the machines to ensure the functioning of the services. GMC has a heavy load of cancer patients who need radiotherapy, which works out on average around 90 to 100 patients on a daily basis. The hospital is finding it difficult to manage with limited manpower, putting extra burden on the existing staff and affecting the quality of the services offered.

The Centre has just 12 beds in its ward, while the requirement is more than 40 beds. Many cancer patients undergoing treatment have to share the same bed, as there is severe shortage of the beds in the ward. The Centre also has severe shortage of the paramedical staff. The Centre needs at least four chemotherapy nurses, but has just two. There are five radiotherapy technicians, but the centre needs a minimum of eight.

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