A recurring complaint in Government Hospitals is weak or meagre arrangement for repair of vital hospital machinery which very often goes out of order owing to incessant use. Maintenance part of these machines is very weak and unsatisfactory. This is not the case with ordinary machines but with very vital machines also. After all, the machinery will meet with one or the other snag as it is in use and its repair is a regular affair.
There are some very expensive machines in Government Hospitals. Despite making arrangement for their periodic inspection and repair, it may happen that the snag asks for replacement of a part which is not easily available especially if it is an imported machine. Therefore the first principal is that while ordering for a critical and expensive machine like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), authorities should make sure that its spare parts are easily available in the country and at a short notice. At the same time, it also to be made sure with the suppliers that there is technical expert available in case the machine needs repair.
The MRI in Government Medical College, Jammu has developed some snag. About 80 patients are in the line waiting to be tested when the machine is fixed. Obviously, those at the helm of affairs will try to bring comfort to the patients as early as possible. The Health Department must awake to a harsh reality which delayed fixing of the machine reveals. The patients are forced to go to private clinics to obtain MRI reports because they stand in need of urgent treatment and medication. But the private clinics fleece the patients knowing that they have no alternative. According to reports of our correspondents private clinics charge anything between Rs 5000 to 10 000 for MRI which is available only for Rs 2500 at GMC&H. Going to private clinics is very harsh for poor patients. Health Department has not imposed any restrictions on the quantum of fee charged by them for doing MRI. In these circumstances, it is importantly firstly that the existing machine is repaired urgently on emergency basis and secondly another machine should be provided to the GMC so that patients are relieved of difficult situations.
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