New Delhi: Patients with difficult-to-diagnose urinary problems, cancer, heart disease and several neurological and kidney conditions will now have access to advanced diagnostic services at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) and Safdarjung Hospital. Union health minister J.P. Nadda inaugurated the facilities Thursday.The centre for advanced bladder diagnostics, set up in the department of Urology, combines video urodynamics with near infrared spectroscopy-based brain mapping. The health ministry said this approach is being attempted for the first time in India.The facility could be particularly useful for patients whose bladder problems are linked to neurological conditions. Video urodynamics can assess how the bladder functions during filling and emptying, while near infrared spectroscopy-based brain mapping can track changes in cerebral blood oxygenation during the process.The combined assessment may help doctors determine whether a patient’s bladder disorder is primarily bladder-related, neurological or a combination of both. The centre is expected to cater to around 5,000 patients annually.The hospital has also added positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) facilities under its department of Nuclear Medicine, strengthening its diagnostic capabilities across several specialties.PET-CT will support cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment planning and follow-up, while also supporting multidisciplinary care involving medical oncology, radiation oncology, haematology, urology, nephrology and paediatric oncology.SPECT-CT will strengthen diagnosis of cardiac, renal, endocrine, orthopaedic and gastrointestinal conditions. The new nuclear medicine services are expected to benefit around 600-700 patients annually and will be available at an affordable cost.The new services will also support postgraduate education and training and strengthen multidisciplinary patient care, including for economically disadvantaged sections of society.During his visit, Nadda also reviewed the heart command centre and sports injury centre and took stock of ongoing projects at Safdarjung Hospital. He stressed the need for regular project reviews, periodic inspections and practical timelines to ensure timely completion of projects.The expansion further strengthens Safdarjung Hospital’s specialised diagnostic infrastructure and its role as a major public-sector referral centre for patients from Delhi and neighbouring states.
