E-Paper
Radiology diagnostic services in a shambles in HP’s medical colleges
Radiology and imaging services in different medical colleges of Himachal Pradesh are in a shambles as several machines remain dysfunctional despite the management spending crores on equipment repair
Radiology and imaging services in different medical colleges of Himachal Pradesh are in a shambles as several machines remain dysfunctional despite the management spending crores on equipment repair. Interestingly, in some cases, the cost of repair has exceeded the actual cost of equipment.
A computed tomography (CT) scan machine was installed at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College and Hospital in 2008 for ₹3.31 crore. However, so far, around ₹2.61 crore has been spent on its repair and the machine is still out of order. This was pointed out by Palampur legislator Ashish Butail, who had raised a question in this regard, in the assembly. The government had tabled a detailed answer to his question.
Similarly, a Colour Doppler machine worth ₹29.25 lakh was installed in 2008 and its repair cost has reached ₹20.86 lakh. However, it has been lying dysfunctional.
Of three 500-MA x-ray machines installed at a cost of ₹64.40 lakh, only one is functional despite ₹34.87 lakh being spent on repairs.
In the state’s biggest health institution, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, all radiology equipment is in working condition but authorities have spent more on the repair of some machines than their actual cost. For instance, the management has spent ₹30 lakhs on the repair of the diagnostic 1000 MA x-ray machine purchased for ₹5 lakh in 2009.
In 2010, ₹2.76 crore had been spent on repair of a CT Scan-64 whose cost in 2010 was ₹55 lakh. Similarly, an MRI scan machine was installed at a cost of ₹70 lakh, while its repair cost has mounted to ₹2.68 crore.
A similar pattern was seen at Nahan Medical College. So far, authorities have spent ₹1.67 crore on repairing a CT scan machine that was purchased in 2007. However, the machine has been lying defunct since it malfunctioned in September 2020. It had been purchased for ₹95 lakh.
The CT scan machine at Hamirpur Medical College has been out of order since October, 2020. So far, ₹96.56 lakh has been spent on the repair of the machine that cost ₹95.27 lakh.
In Chamba Medical College, the CT scan machine has not worked since 2016 despite ₹82.74 lakh being spent on its repair.
Butail said that this was enough to reflect the crumbling health services in the state and the problems faced by the people, who have either spent lakhs of rupees on diagnostic services in private hospitals or have been forced to go to other states.
