India, Jan. 9 -- Several critical cancer diagnostic and treatment services at the government-run Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI), including the medical cyclotron, PET-CECT (Positron Emission Tomography - Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography) and SPECT/CT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography) facilities in the nuclear medicine department, have remained defunct due to prolonged delays in filling the post of a nuclear medicine specialist, officials and doctors said.

The continued vacancy has forced patients to either incur high out-of-pocket expenses or forgo essential investigations, they said.

Although the Union health ministry approved the urgent transfer of a senior medical officer (SMO) from Safdarjung ...