PUTRAJAYA: The National Cancer Institute (IKN) and cancer care centres nationwide will operate at full capacity throughout the Aidilfitri festive season to ensure that cancer patients’ healthcare is not disrupted.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the IKN is implementing fair work schedule rotation for its staff.
“For IKN alone, 170 staff members will be on standby to ensure operations run as usual.
“They consist of doctors, specialists, nurses and others who ensure that patients relying on continuous services receive the necessary attention,” he said at a press conference after an official visit to IKN today.
He said the bed capacity at IKN is 252, and the Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) is currently 64 per cent. During the festive season, the BOR is expected to be between 50 and 60 per cent.
Meanwhile, Dzulkefly stated that IKN will receive two new medical linear accelerators (LINAC) this year.
“The new-generation LINAC machines (high-energy external beam x-ray) received by IKN are equipped with Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, which is a more advanced treatment using high-dose radiotherapy radiation that precisely targets tumours, thus minimising surrounding damage and destroying cancer cells accurately.
“This (pin-point) focus is important for treating small, solitary tumours confined to a specific area, especially vital organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, or liver,” he said.
He added that IKN currently operates five LINAC machines, and the two new machines will accelerate treatment access and improve patient clinical outcomes.
Earlier, Dzulkefly visited and delivered Aidilfitri contributions to patients and healthcare workers at IKN.
