Picture imperfect — KEM’s CT scan is on the blink

An official said the cost of getting a CT scan done at any municipal hospital is Rs 1,200 (for any CT). The same costs around Rs 1,000 at a private centre for just the CT scan of the head.

Around 40 CT scans earlier being done every day at KEM are now being done at other places, so patients have to be taken in cramped taxis, causing severe problems for those with serious ailments, sources said.

Hospital sources said the present CT scan machine has already done a record number of CT scans, which is why it keeps slipping into a state of disrepair every few months. Once the machine is on the blink, it takes several weeks for the administrative machinery to go through the procedure and get the spare parts sanctioned, sources said. In fact, there is an urgent need to get the machine replaced with a new one so that there is continuity of work and important operations are not delayed.

The CT scan is a basic investigation required for treatment of head injury, tumours, meningitis and various other surgeries of the neck, chest and abdomen, sources said. And at present, there is an urgent need to have a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) installed at one of the three municipal hospitals, so that specialists can make a more accurate diagnosis of the patients’ condition, sources said.

Dr Ravi Ramakanthan, professor and head of radiology department said there had earlier been a proposal to replace the CT scan machine at all three municipal hospitals, but it seems to have been shelved at the moment. Therefore, for the moment, hospital authorities have no option but to replace the picture tube of the scan. This is likely to take at least another week, he said. But even after the tube is replaced, the machine will function only at a 40 per cent capacity, he added.