“This Laparoscopy system has increased the cost effectiveness of the Surgical Unit many fold. ” stated Dr. Indrani Amarasinghe, Chief Surgeon of the NCI. “We are grateful for MAS for taking this initiative, more so for the patients we see every day, knowing that we are doing as much as we can to lessen their pain and suffering. What we need is more people to come forward in a similar manner to offer their time and support to the NCI.”
Repairs were also carried out on the Colonovideoscope and the Gastroscope, equipment used in the surgical unit to detect cancerous symptoms in the abdominal area, where the tubes sent through the abdomen of the patients get contaminated by saliva and intestinal secretions. According to the staff, clogged up scopes require intensive repair at least once a year.
Before the end of 2009, more requests poured in from various other departments of the hospital. The 20 year old Flame Photometer used in the Biochemistry Laboratory was becoming increasingly inefficient for measuring the vital sodium and potassium percentages of blood samples of patients, an important test that decides the necessary level of chemo-therapy that has to be carried out. The newly donated Flame Photometer amounting to Rs. 1.8 million (USD 15,000), apart from producing a stable flame as opposed to the old apparatus also carries out automatic 1/200 dilution of serums, earlier carried out manually by the staff.
Upgrading the Microbiology Department was next. One of the most important procedures at the NCI, as is with all healthcare institutes is water distillation, ensuring sterilization of all medical and laboratory testing procedures. Many tests conducted by the laboratory need distilled water, and before the laboratory's very own apparatus was donated, most tests could not be carried out at regular intervals.
The only Water Distillation Apparatus used earlier at the NCI was located in the Biochemistry Laboratory, and medical staff were required to wait their turn to receive distilled water, a time-consuming process that hindered the daily number of laboratory tests carried out by each department. The donated Water Distillation Apparatus, has improved the testing procedure considerably. Used for culture media, a liquid needed to support the growth of microorganisms, the laboratory now produces sufficient culture media that can last up to 3 days within a controlled environment.
A New Year, A New Start: In 2010, MAS has added to the list of donated equipment, starting off with the - 86C Freezer valued at Rs. 1.5 million (USD 13,000) for the Microbiology Department. When blood samples of patients were taken in by the NCI, one of the biggest problems they faced was preservation. Once a patient is diagnosed with cancer, the medical staff preserves a blood sample of the patient, using the serum to conduct tests on.
The usual procedure in developed countries is to preserve these blood samples for as long as the patient requires medical care, testing how various drugs affect the serum.
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