Chandigarh, Feb. 7 -- With an ever-increasing patient load, the department of clinical haematology and medical oncology at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is facing an acute shortage of staff and infrastructure, the department head, Dr Pankaj Malhotra, said.

Addressing a symposium organised in collaboration with the continuous nursing education cell to mark World Cancer Day, Malhotra said the department urgently needs expansion to cope with the rising number of patients, the majority of whom are blood cancer cases. Around 60,000 patients visit the department's outpatient department (OPD) annually, he said. At any given time, 50 to 80 patients remain admitted in the wards. To manage the existing load...