Getting a PET-CT Scan — at a Government Hospital in Telangana

For patients enrolled in the Aarogyasri Health Care Trust or the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme, PET-CT at designated government facilities may be fully or largely covered. If you are not enrolled in either scheme, a subsidised fee usually applies rather than a full private-market rate. The exact amount depends on the hospital and your enrolment status, so confirm at the registration desk when you apply. Bring your scheme card on the day you register.

MNJ Institute of Oncology in Red Hills, Hyderabad, is the state cancer hospital and the most commonly referred government facility for oncology PET-CT in Telangana. Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences also has nuclear medicine capabilities. Equipment availability and working hours can change, so call the nuclear medicine department directly before travelling. Your oncologist's referral letter will usually name the facility they are sending you to.

A wait of several weeks is typical, and a wait of one to two months is not unusual at the busiest centres. Waits vary by centre, by the urgency of your clinical situation, and by how many scans are already scheduled on the machine. There is no way to get an accurate waiting time without visiting or calling the nuclear medicine department directly. If your treating oncologist says the scan is urgent, make that clear to the department when you register.

Government PET-CT is currently concentrated in Hyderabad at facilities such as MNJ and NIMS. If you live in a district without access, you would generally need to travel to Hyderabad for the scan. Your oncologist or district hospital can issue the referral to the appropriate facility. If travel and accommodation add significant cost and difficulty, ask your oncologist whether a CION partner imaging centre closer to your home is worth considering alongside the cost of travel.

Bring your Aadhaar card or other government identity proof, a written referral from your treating oncologist, your cancer diagnosis report and biopsy result, any previous scan or imaging reports, and your Aarogyasri or Ayushman Bharat card if you have one. Missing any of these usually means being asked to return another day. Prepare everything before you travel to the hospital, and make photocopies to leave at the registration desk if asked.

Tell your oncologist the government waiting time you were given and ask directly whether that wait is clinically safe for your situation. If the wait would delay a treatment decision, they may refer you to a partner imaging centre where an appointment is usually available within a few days. At CION, PET-CT scans are coordinated through partner imaging centres and the booking is managed through your treating team — you do not need to arrange it yourself.