Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The wait list for video electroencephalogram (EEG) test at the civic-run KEM Hospital in Parel has been extended till November this year as one of the two machines in the hospital cannot be used due to ‘civil issues’ in the room that houses it. As a result, more than 250 patients are in queue for diagnosis.
An EEG machine records electrical signals sent from the brain on a computer. These brainwave patterns are used to monitor the seizures displayed by an epilepsy patient to diagnose which part of the brain is causing the fit. A single patient is kept on the machine for three continuous days (72 hours), following which a decision to opt for epilepsy surgery is undertaken. At present, KEM is the only civic hospital in the city that provides video EEG and epilepsy surgery facility.
In mid-December, the room that housed the EEG machine had to be locked after tiles started falling from the wall. “The building is in good condition. We don’t know how the tiles started falling. May be there was leakage. The machine has been temporarily shifted to a side-room,” said Dr Sangeeta Rawat, head of neurosurgery department at KEM.
Although BMC additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar has ordered repair work in the room, there has been a delay in even starting the civil job. Since December, only 25-30 patients have been monitored on EEG machine — almost a 50 per cent reduction in patients.
The machine cannot be housed in a separate room, as the EEG room requires a camera to monitor the patient, a control room to house the computer and an attached bathroom for the patient’s use. In absence of all this, the second machine has been rendered useless until the civil work is complete.
While the cost of getting diagnosed on EEG machine is Rs 15,000 at KEM, it is Rs 80,000 at private hospitals. A source from the neurosurgery department said, “Appointments of several patients had to be cancelled because only one machine was in use. We are not taking new appointments.”
However, Dr Shubhangi Parkar, acting dean of KEM, said, “This is an optional treatment and patients may or may not require neurosurgery. People have fits for years, so it is not life-threatening. A tender has been called for the repair work. It will start in a few days.”
Dr Alok Sharma, neurosurgeon at Sion Hospital, also said diagnosis on EEG was “not a life-saving measure” and could wait for one or two months. He said, “EEG is used when medications fail to work on epilepsy patients and a surgery is needed. Patients cannot be referred to Sion Hospital as we do not have video EEG facility yet.”
The facility for EEG machine in KEM started in 2001. While the machines are working smoothly, the delay on the part of civic authorities is now forcing patients to either wait or opt for private services. Dr Suhasini Nagda, director of medical education and Major Hospitals, said, “A meeting will be convened Tuesday to discuss the issue.”
tabassum.barnagarwala@expressindia.com
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
