Balrampur hospital blues: Patients on MRI hunt, sparking diagnostic delay

Although the MRI block has been ready at the hospital for past two months as per the standard protocol, an MRI machine is yet to be installed at Balrampur hospital in Lucknow

At least a dozen patients undergoing treatment at the Balrampur hospital here have to go out of the hospital to get their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test done as the facility is still awaited at the hospital. Although the MRI block has been ready at the hospital for past two months as per the standard protocol, an MRI machine is yet to be installed there.

The block at Lucknow’s Balrampur hospital where the MRI machine will be installed. (Gaurav Saigal/HT)

“The purchase process has begun and we hope to get the MRI machine soon,” said the hospital’s director Dr AK Singh. MRI is a medical imaging technique used to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body for diagnosis of a disease/illness.

Explaining the need, Dr Singh said, “On an average, 10 patients are advised MRI test here every day. Since we are awaiting the equipment, our doctors refer the patients to King George’s Medical University or Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences where patients are provided with the facility in government sector only.”

Going from Balrampur hospital campus to either of the two medical institutes needs travel time and then waiting period is a hurdle for patients. Had the facility been available at the hospital, the waiting time could have been saved.

Apart from those undergoing treatment at the hospital, some other patients visiting doctors in OPD too are advised the MRI test if required.

All either go to government set up or at private diagnostic centres if they wish to avoid queues and can afford the fee there. While the fee in a government set up is ₹2,500 for MRI test, private centres charge up to ₹7,000 for same.