For over a month: Both CT scan machines at KEM Hospital non-functional

Even BYL Nair Hospital currently doesn’t have a functioning CT scan machine, which is an essential diagnostic tool.

On a daily basis, the 1,500-bed KEM Hospital receives nearly 7,000 OPD patients. On an average, CT scans of nearly 70 non-emergency patients and 20 emergency cases are carried out every day at the hospital.

But for the last one month, both of the hospital’s CT machines have been out of service.

One of them is a 10-year-old machine that is beyond repair, according to hospital staff.

“Currently, we are referring the patients to other hospitals like Sion Hospital for diagnosis. We are also in the process of procuring a new CT scan machine but its installation is a time-consuming affair, which is delaying the process,” said KEM Hospital Dean Dr Sangeeta Rawat.

Meanwhile, several KEM Hospital patients said they were being referred to private diagnostic centres, and this was burning a big hole in their

pockets. The actual cost of a CT scan at private centres in Mumbai ranges from Rs 4,000 to Rs 9,500.

Yasobhaben Patel, a 34-year-old, recently injured her back and hip after she suffered a fall. Patel, who owns a flower stall in Prabhadevi, had to spend Rs 4,000 for a CT scan of her back at a private centre.

“After I fell down, my husband rushed me to the hospital on November 12 midnight, and the doctor prescribed a CT scan to check if I had sustained a fracture. But the doctor informed us that the machine wasn’t working, and asked us to get a CT scan done from some other centre,” said Patel.

Doctors from Sion hospital, where KEM Hospital patients who need a CT scan are being referred to, also said this was making the waiting list for patients longer.

“We already have a one-month waiting period for a CT scan. Other than managing the time for emergency case patients, we also have to take in referred patients from both KEM and Nair hospitals as their machines aren’t functioning. Now, if Sion hospital’s machine also breaks down, it will be complete chaos,” said a resident doctor from the hospital, which has two CT scan machines.