Patients suffering from brain-related diseases will be able to get neurosurgical care in the country. The Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) received a set of high-end Neuronavigation system from the Friends of JDWNRH-Vienna, a society based in Austria yesterday.
The machine is operated through a computer-assisted system. The neuronavigation system, worth Nu 30 M has an inbuilt system to operate different parts of the body such as ear, nose and throat, and spinal cords among others. However, it is used mostly for the brain since it is the most sensitive part of the body.
The JDWNRH lone neurosurgeon Dr Tashi Tenzin will operate the machine which requires the guidance of MRI and CT scan machines as well.
” With the machine, most of the surgeries that can be performed are brain tumours. It will help to guide surgeon to operate on the brain and spinal cord through computer-assisted programme precisely with accuracy.”
With this system in place, patients will no longer have to travel to India for the neurosurgery.
“Some patients are not able to afford to go India for surgery and it was too risky to operate here without such services,” Dr Tashi Tenzin said.
Though there is no official record maintained with the hospital, Dr Tashi Tenzin said there is an increasing number of patients with brain-related illnesses.
He added, in a day, at least two to three such patients visit the hospital.
