Safdarjung Hospital Gets Advanced Bladder Diagnostics, PET-CT and SPECT-CT Units

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Thursday inaugurated advanced diagnostic facilities, including a centre for advanced bladder diagnostics alongside PET-CT and SPECT-CT services, at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi. The newly introduced infrastructure aims to provide specialised care for patients suffering from difficult-to-diagnose urinary issues, cancer, heart ailments, and several neurological and kidney conditions.

The centre for advanced bladder diagnostics has been established within the hospital's Department of Urology. According to the Union Health Ministry, the facility adopts a clinical approach being attempted for the first time in India by pairing video urodynamics with near infrared spectroscopy-based brain mapping.

Health authorities noted that the diagnostic setup will be especially valuable for individuals whose bladder complications are tied to neurological disorders. Through video urodynamics, medical teams can monitor and evaluate how the bladder functions as it fills and empties during the urinary cycle.

At the same time, near infrared spectroscopy-based brain mapping records changes in cerebral blood oxygenation while the bladder fills and empties. This simultaneous testing enables doctors to determine whether a patient's bladder condition is primarily an urological problem, a neurological issue, or a combination of both.

The newly launched centre is projected to cater to approximately 5,000 patients on an annual basis, significantly expanding specialized diagnostic access at the central government-run hospital.