2 of 3 CT scan machines non-functional at Lok Nayak Hospital over ‘pending dues’
To undergo an MRI at the hospital, a patient has to wait for around 36-40 months at the OPD and 20-30 days at a ward. For a CT scan, the wait is for 7-8 months in the OPD and 10-12 days in the IPD (inpatient department).
4 min read
Of the three CT scan machines at Lok Nayak Hospital, currently only the one at the Sushruta Trauma Centre, situated more than 7 km away, is functional. (File Photo)With another CT scan machine, this time in the emergency department, rendered non-functional due to a faulty CT Tube, patients of the government-run Lok Nayak Hospital are forced to travel as far as 7 km to its trauma centre or to the GB Pant Hospital for their scan requirements. The company responsible has refused to undertake the repair owing to prior payment pending with the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) for more than 2 years, it is learned.
CPA used to procure medicines and surgical consumables for all Delhi government institutions until the introduction of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in 2016. However, repair of machines purchased earlier will be done through the agency itself.
Of the three CT scan machines at Lok Nayak Hospital, currently only the one at the Sushruta Trauma Centre, situated more than 7 km away, is functional. The other two at the main hospital are both non-functional. Apart from the one at the emergency department, the machine in the main department was condemned, or removed from use, almost a year ago.
This led to a “massive workload” on the device at the emergency department as it had been running continuously throughout the day, said a letter from radiodiagnosis department head Dr Gaurav Shankar Pradhan to medical director Dr Suresh Kumar. The CT scan machine has not been working since October 21.
“The company has in an email dated 21/10/24 expressed its inability to repair/replace the same till the prior payment pending with CPA for more than 2 years is cleared. Several reminders have been sent, the last was sent on 08/10/24 to your office,” the letter read, urging the director to expedite the release of the payment. He also requested that a new CT scan machine be procured on “an urgent basis” to replace the condemned equipment.
Further, he requested Dr Kumar to have a word with his counterpart at GB Pant Hospital regarding patients being referred to the nearby hospital for scan requirements. In reference to the condemned machine, he wrote, “…there is a fully functional CT machine in the radiotherapy department. Till the time the issue of Emergency CT is sorted, with your permission, the machine in radiotherapy can be used for patient care”.
The dearth of functional equipment at Lok Nayak Hospital has emerged amid an ongoing case hearing in the Delhi High Court during which a court-monitored committee recently made a submission on the burden on Delhi government hospitals. The patient backlog of tests or diagnoses have been running into months, the committee claimed.
Patients are forced to wait for as long as 3-4 months to undergo tests at the OPD (outpatient department) of Lok Nayak Hospital and 8-9 months for tests at its wards, an affidavit dated October 11 filed before the court by AIIMS Assistant Professor Dr Nishant Sharma, on behalf of the AIIMS director, says.
To undergo an MRI at the hospital, a patient has to wait for around 36-40 months at the OPD and 20-30 days at a ward. For a CT scan, the wait is for 7-8 months in the OPD and 10-12 days in the IPD (inpatient department).
Following the court’s directions on October 4, a proposal for purchasing 20 CT scan, 12 MRI, and 52 ultrasonography machines was put up for approval at a meeting chaired by AIIMS Director Dr M Srinivas.
You May Like
Photos
