COIMBATORE: The inauguration of the 16-slice CT scan facility at the Coimbatore district headquarters hospital at Pollachi has been postponed yet again.
The hospital staff alleged that it was the fourth consecutive time the opening has been put off though the scanner was installed by mid-2025 with a funding of Rs 2.17 crore by the health department.
"It was to be inaugurated by the Chief Minister on Thursday. However, it was postponed for the convenience of higher authorities. The delay has been forcing people either to go to private medical facilities or the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital," said a staff from the hospital on condition of anonymity.
The Pollachi Government Hospital, which is 40 km away, already has a 4-slice CT scan machine that is runs during the day hours with a radiographer and a doctor. But 16-slice CT scanners provide faster imaging, higher resolution, and lower radiation doses compared to the other.
While 4-slice units suit low-volume clinics, 16-slice units are ideal for daily, higher-volume use and emergency care due to improved 3D reconstruction and faster, more detailed, whole-body scanning. While the former are suitable for basic imaging, 16-slice scanners offer faster, more detailed imaging (thinner slices) that reduce motion artifacts and improve the identification of vascular, cardiac, and subtle tissue complications.
Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC), which offers the facility at the Pollachi GH, charges Rs 500 for a CT scan and additionally Rs 300 for a contrast CT scan. This service was provided free of cost for those who applied under the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) and to 5% of patients if they are referred by doctors.
Around 1,000 people use this CT scan facility in Pollachi GH in a month, and 30 to 40 people per day. Apart from GH patients, many outsiders are also using this facility by paying the charges.
"Now with the delay in the inauguration of the facility at the district headquarters hospital, those in need of a high-resolution scan go to a private hospital, paying at least Rs 3000 or go to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital," said R Vellai Nataraj, a Member of the Healthcare Beneficiaries Welfare Committee of Pollachi GH.
He further said that the CT scan centre at the GH should be upgraded with additional manpower, such as a radiographer, a data entry operator and a doctor.
"Currently, the service is available only during the day hours (8 am to 5 pm). If it gets additional manpower, it could help needy patients around the clock as its service is required 24 hours," Nataraj added.
A senior official, who did not want to be named said, 16-slice CT scan centre will be inaugurated in the next round of inaugurations of new health-sector projects. "We are working to make this facility available to the public at the earliest," he added.