CT Scan machines defunct in City Hospitals

Ajay Raina
JAMMU, July 22: Delay in the installation of the proposed new CT Scan machine in the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has proved fatal as the operational CT Scan machines in Government Medical College as well as SMGS Hospital went out of order today thereby putting the patients to many hardships.
Official sources told the EXCELSIOR that during the past 24 hours CT Scan facility was not available either in Government Medical College or in SMGS Hospital as snags have developed in both the machines and nobody knows when the administration would be able to rectify the same.
Due to non-functioning of CT Scan machines in two main hospitals, hundreds of patients (emergency and in-patients) have been facing problems as they were being referred to Chest Disease (CD) Hospital, sources said.
The snag got developed in the CT Scan machine in the GMC due to the increasing work load as on daily basis around 60 to 70 patients were being diagnosed by this machine, sources said, adding, “had the proposal for installation of new CT Scan machine in the GMC been cleared by the Government such a situation would not have arisen”.
About the machine in SMGS Hospital, sources said, “this machine too developed snag suddenly and cause for the same would come to fore only when the engineers examine the machine”, adding “no doubt the patients are being referred to CD Hospital, yet this arrangement is putting patients as well as attendants to inconvenience”.
Talking to Excelsior, one of the attendants of the trauma patient admitted in the GMC Hospital said “we have to go to the CD Hospital for the conduct of the test. After taking the film from there, we had to visit GMC Hospital again and after showing it to the concerned doctor, we got the CT Scan report”.
He alleged that the huge funds were being utilized by the Government, but they cannot install additional CT Scan machines in the hospital for the convenience of the patients.
When contacted Dr Ghansham Dev, Head of Radiology Department, that due to cable cut, the CT Scan machine in the GMC Hospital becomes non-operational. “We have to bring the cable from Delhi, and in the coming days, the machine will be made operational, for the convenience of the patients”, he asserted.
Asked about non-functional of CT Scan machine in the SMGS Hospital also, Dr Ghansham said “it is not in my knowledge and if the machine is non-operational, I will look into the matter”.