JP Nadda inaugurates Centre for Advanced Bladder Diagnostics and PET-CT, SPECT-CT facilities at VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital

New Delhi [India], September 3 (ANI): Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare JP Nadda today inaugurated the Centre for Advanced Bladder Diagnostics in the Department of Urology and the PET-CT and SPECT-CT facilities in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.
During his visit, Nadda also visited the Heart Command Centre and the Sports Injury Centre at Safdarjung Hospital and reviewed the services and activities being undertaken at these centres.
During the detailed review of the functioning and ongoing projects of Safdarjung Hospital, Nadda emphasised the need for regular review of projects and periodic inspection of projects in the pipeline, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
He stressed the importance of setting practical and achievable timelines for completion of projects to ensure their timely implementation. The Union Health Minister also appreciated the distinct identity and reputation that Safdarjung Hospital has established over the years and noted that the institution has developed its own unique name and standing in the healthcare sector.
The Centre for Advanced Bladder Diagnostics has been established with Video Urodynamics (VUDS) integrated with Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). The facility will enable detailed assessment of bladder function and support diagnosis of urinary bladder disorders, including complex cases associated with neurological conditions, the ministry said.
An important feature of the Centre is the integration of VUDS with brain mapping through NIRS, an approach being attempted for the first time in India. It enables assessment of changes in cerebral blood oxygenation during bladder filling and emptying and may assist clinicians in determining whether a bladder disorder is of bladder-related, neurological or combined origin.
The Centre is expected to cater to approximately 5,000 patients annually, thereby strengthening the availability of specialised urological diagnostic services at the hospital.
The newly installed PET-CT and SPECT-CT facilities in the Department of Nuclear Medicine will augment the hospital’s diagnostic capabilities in several specialised areas, including cancer care, cardiology, neurology, renal diseases and endocrinology.
The PET-CT facility will support cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment planning and follow-up, besides facilitating advanced imaging required for specialised therapies. It will further support multidisciplinary clinical management involving Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Hematology, Urology, Nephrology and Pediatric Oncology.
The SPECT-CT facility will strengthen diagnostic services for cardiac, renal, endocrine, orthopaedic and gastrointestinal conditions, thereby facilitating comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and appropriate clinical management. The advanced Nuclear Medicine services are expected to benefit approximately 600–700 patients annually and will be made available at an affordable cost.
The addition of these services marks a further strengthening of the specialised healthcare infrastructure at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital. The Centre for Advanced Bladder Diagnostics, PET-CT and SPECT-CT services will facilitate comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, support timely treatment planning and further strengthen multidisciplinary patient care.
The facilities will also support postgraduate education and training, while enhancing access to specialised diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients, including those belonging to economically disadvantaged sections of society. (ANI)