KHARGHAR, Navi Mumbai: IAEA Chief Mohammed ElBaradei on Tuesday inaugurated the indigenously developed advanced computerized telecobalt machine `Bhabhatron-II' for treatment of cancer. ElBaradei, who is on a three-day trip to India, visited the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre where he inaugurated `Bhabhatron-II' at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) here.

Later, Bhabhatron was officially handed over to the director general of IAEA by Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Dr Anil Kakodkar. The machine, costing Rs two crore, which was donated to IAEA by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) will be sent to Can Tho General Hospital in Vietnam as part of promotion of peaceful uses of atomic energy.

The government of India will provide further support in the machine's commissioning, maintenance, and training. ElBaradei also visited the electron beam facility of DAE in Vashi at Navi Mumbai. DAE last month signed a tripartite agreement at Vienna with International Atomic Energy's Program of action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) to donate Bhabhatron II to Vietnam, Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) Director Dr K A Dinshaw said. ACTREC, a research facility of Tata Memorial Centre, had installed the first indigenously developed BARC prototype Bhabhatron version I in March 2005.

Over 550 patients have been treated since then on this machine after the commissioning approval was given by Atomic energy Regulatory Board following rigorous acceptance tests, Dinshaw said. Bhabhatron II conforms to International Electrotechnical Commission norms (IEC 601) for medical equipments and has improved design specifications at a much lower pricing.

It also makes it technologically at par with more expensive imported telecobalt units, Dinshaw added. "This will go a long way in making cancer therapy affordable and accessible for patients in India as well as other developing nations," she added.