The early years of oncology in the Podkarpacie Region

Abstract

The activities of the Provincial Oncological Hospital in Rzeszów show how great is the demand for oncology treatment in the Lower Carpathians province. In 1985, Dr. Józef Małek submitted a comprehensive construction plan for a new Oncological Hospital in Rzeszów. This proposal received approval from Prof. Skołyszewski and was approved for implementation in 1986. In April 1988, the project for the construction of the Oncological Hospital with 300 beds, patients and the operating rooms, was given a positive opinion by the Minister of Health. However, this was not implemented and in 1990, it was decided to dissolve the Provincial Oncological Hospital in Rzeszów and join it to the wards of Provincial Hospital No. 1. In February 1992, treatment using telegamma therapy was started in the new cobalt bomb pavilion, and soon telecurie-therapy was replaced by LDR and MDR brachytherapy. In the years 1992–1997, an association acting on the basis of oncology Branches organised a series of national and international conferences on oncology. In 1995, on the basis of oncology Branches and Institutions, the Oncology Centre was established in Rzeszów. As part of its expansion, another cobalt bomb and two workstations for LDR/MDR Selectron were acquired. In November 1999, the Oncology Center in Rzeszów was operating as it does today, and is the Specialist District Hospital — Lower Carpathians Oncology Center.