TENKASI: Patients at District Government Headquarters Hospital (GHQH) alleged that the MRI scanner, estimated at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore, has remained non-functional for more than three months. They urged Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian and Chief Minister MK Stalin to intervene in the issue.
When contacted by TNIE, an administrator of GHQH said that the MRI scanner could not be operated as the Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation (TNMSC) had not appointed technicians to operate the scanner. "Even though we have three radiologists in GHQH, we do not have technicians to operate the MRI scanner. We need at least three people to operate the scanner round-the-clock," he added.
Speaking to TNIE, patients said they were forced to approach the distant Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) or a private scan centre for taking MRI scans. "After I suffered head injury in a road accident, I was taken to GHQH. A day after the accident, the doctors here recommended an MRI scan and was made to go to TvMCH. When my relatives took me to TvMCH, I was asked to come back after four days. To get the scan report, I had to wait one more day," said a patient from Kadayanallur.
Another patient from Alangulam said he was referred by GHQH to TvMCH for an MRI scan and he had to wait for seven days for his turn. Several patients also told TNIE that they had approached a private scan centre located in Tenkasi to get the scanning in a short span of time.
"We were charged Rs 2,500 for an MRI scan in TvMCH while the private centres charge us around Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000,'' the patients said. According to the budget document, Rs 6.5 crore was allocated in 2021 by the state government for the purchase of an MRI scanner for GHQH.
Speaking to TNIE, RTI activist A Veronica Mary said the delay in the installation of MRI scanners was contempt of court. "Hearing a PIL filed by health activist C Anandaraj, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had ordered the installation of MRI scanners in all district headquarters hospitals within a year, in 2017 itself. It is unacceptable that the health department has kept the purchased scanner idle for months in GHQH. TvMCH should be provided with one more MRI scanner to clear the huge caseload," she said.
Activist R Pandiarajan said the chief minister should intervene in this matter and bring more facilities to GHQH as Tenkasi is the only southern district devoid of a medical college hospital.