MADURAI: Over Rs 511.21 crore were generated through CT and MRI scans in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu in the last five years. Social activists raised a query as to why such revenue generating scan facilities were not installed in the five government district headquarter and medical college hospitals at Theni and Kanniyakumari districts in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to TNIE, RTI activist Anandraj said, “An RTI query was sent to Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation and the reports suggested that good revenue was being generated through CT and MRI scans.”
“In another RTI reply, officials said that Rs 6 to 7 crore was required to install one MRI facility. Is a patient expected to go to another hospital with a MRI or CT scan facility due to the lack of it in district government head quarters hospitals in Erode, Pollachi, Pennagaram, Ooty, Mettur Dam, Cheyyar and Manaparai. The two medical college hospitals in Kanniyakumari and Theni do not have MRI scan facilities,” Anandraj said.
Former joint director (health services) Dr T Jayapal said, “The taluk-level implementation of the MRI scan facility is being carried out by the health department, but it is time consuming. If there are no facilities to conduct surgeries or experts and specialists are not present, what is the need for scan machines?”
Former GRH (Madurai) dean Dr Rathinavel said, “MRI facility is mostly useful for injuries and surgeries in the fields of neurology, spine, vascular systems and brain. Hence, the scan facilities are mostly present in super-specialty services division in major hospitals.
One must note that apart from GRH, rest of the government medical colleges such as those in Dindigul, Theni, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, and Virudhunagar districts do not provide super-specialty services. Patients suffering from these kinds of ailments are directly referred to the GRH.”