B.P. Koirala Cancer Hospital commences flow cytometry testing for blood cancer

CHITWAN, MAY 27: Flow cytometry testing to identify variants of blood cancer has officially started at the B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Bharatpur. The hospital has installed the necessary equipment and provided specialized training to its doctors and technicians to carry out this advanced diagnostic procedure.

According to Dr. Greta Pandey, Head of the Laboratory Department, more than 90 patients have already undergone flow cytometry testing since the service was launched. In the past, such tests had to be sent to India at a high cost, but with the introduction of this service, the test is now available at the hospital for just NPR 12,000. Previously, the charges varied significantly depending on the location in India where the test was conducted.

Flow cytometry is a high-level diagnostic test that involves extracting bone marrow from the patient to determine the specific type of blood cancer. “It is a procedure used to identify the type of leukemia,” said Dr. Pandey. “The sample is collected from the spine and then analyzed.”

To initiate this service, one doctor and one technician were sent to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in India for training. Upon their return, the hospital began offering the service.

Dr. Shivaji Paudel, Executive Director of the hospital, stated that the hospital is committed to enhancing cancer treatment by installing advanced equipment and building the capacity of its medical team through training. With the introduction of this test, patients are now directly benefiting from timely and accurate diagnoses. The hospital has recently accelerated efforts to expand its services by acquiring new technology and improving human resources.