The government is taking initiative to set up Interventional Radiology (IR) departments in the Government Medical College Hospitals (MCHs) at Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kozhikode, a statement issued by the office of the Health Minister said here.
This is the first time that interventional radiology division is being introduced in the State’s public sector hospitals and it is expected to revolutionise medical treatment of various conditions, the statement said.
In order to begin the department, new posts of Assistant Professors - two in Thiruvananthapuram MCH and one each in Kottayam and Kozhikode MCHs -have been created.
Interventional radiology is the minimally invasive, image-guided treatment of various medical conditions which would have required open surgery earlier. With the help of advanced imaging technologies like ultrasound, X-rays, CAT scans, MRI scans and the like, interventional radiologists can see inside the human body and treat complex medical conditions using minimally invasive therapies/procedures with much precision.
Interventional radiology thus helps patients avoid open surgeries, which would have involved more pain, longer hospital stays, and potential complications
Interventional radiology procedures are quite expensive in the private health sector but will be provided free of cost in the MCHs. Setting up separate IR departments would help more medical students gain expertise and skill in various interventional radiology procedures and help extend the IR division to more medical colleges, it is hoped
At present, even in the absence of a separate IR department, various interventional radiology procedures are performed at Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Kozhikode MCHs. The machines for performing Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA), a fluoroscopic technique used extensively in interventional radiology for visualising blood vessels and to detect blockages/tumours, have been set up in these MCHs, while Alappuzha MCH would soon be getting one such machine
Using interventional radiology treatment methods, chemotherapy for cancer and embolisation procedures can be delivered. Once a separate IR department is set up, patients can be admitted directly and their treatment carried out in a coordinated manner.
