COIMBATORE:The demand of the public to add at least one more scanning machine at the Radiology department of the CMCH has been pending for long and has forced patients to wait for hours together, to get the scanning done. The CMCH had already given a proposal last year to the Director of the Medical Education (DME), requesting more scanning machines. However, this demand is yet to become a reality.
Dr A Edwin Joe, Dean, CMCH, told Express that the existing scanning machines were provided by the Tamilnadu Medical Services Corporation Limited (TNMSCL) and the request of the Radiology Department for more scanning machines had also been forwarded to the TNMSCL through the DME. At present, there were only two scanning machines at the CMCH, one CT scanning machine and the other one, an MRI scanning machine.
As per the information provided by the staff of the Radiology department, the existing scanning machines were unable to cater to the needs of the patients everyday as their number was much high. Usually it took 15 minutes to take a CT scan and 45 minutes for an MRI scan. Per day around 80 patients arrived at the CMCH for CT scan and a few for MRI scan. Using one CT scan machine for 80 patients was a Herculean task as the machine could break down due to excess workload. There was no alternative machine if the existing one developed a snag. To address this issue, a request for one more CT scan machine was placed. Meanwhile patients were forced to wait for hours to get the scanning done.
“My mother was asked to get her fractured leg scanned. It took hours to get it done. She is aged and weak and due to various diseases it was difficult for her to wait outside,” said Komalavalli M, from Singanallur.
When contacted, Dean of the CMCH, A Edwin Joe told Express,“On June 12, scanning machines were provided to the Government Hospitals(GHs) at Mettupalayam, Kotagiri, Kudallur and Ooty. The patients from these places were coming to the CMCH for the CT scanning. But now that these GHs have got the CT scan machines, the rush of patients can be avoided.” He also said, with the opening of the new centenary building, new CT scan and MRI machines will be provided and patients will not not have to wait.
