Patients suffer as Sanjay Gandhi institute lacks crucial CT, MRI scan facilities

The Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics lacks two crucial diagnostics tools -- computerised tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- which are essential for attending to patients with serious injuries.

One of the city’s best-known trauma centres run by the state government, the institute has therefore been referring hundreds of patients every month to private diagnostics centres. While the existing CT scan equipment is defunct, the hospital never had MRI scan equipment.

According to a top source in the hospital, the CT scan equipment in the hospital has not been functional for the last one year. Purchased in 2007, the machine stopped working in October 2015 . The hospital has just a six-slice CT scan machine compared to the latest 124-slice machines in private hospitals.

The hospital caters to several patients with serious orthopaedic injuries. “Even patients who are immobile are refered to private hospitals for a CT scan. Moving patients with grievous injuries is risky,” a source told DH.

When DH visited the hospital, an acquaintance of one of the patients spoke about the struggles. A victim of a road accident, Ramu (name changed), was rushed to the hospital on recently. Even as the patient’s face was bleeding profusely, he had to travel to and fro between Clumax Diagnostics, a private lab, and the hospital for the CT scan as the facility was not available at the institute.

For patients with severe injuries to the soft tissue, an MRI equipment is essential, explained the source. The hospital, despite requests from several previous directors who headed the institute, is yet to get an MRI scan equipment. “This is a major trauma centre and MRI is needed. Both CT scan and MRI facilities are available at Nimhans. With their daily patient load, referring our patients there would only mean an additional burden on them,” the source added.

 Dr B G Tilak, director, Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics, said he had been trying to get permission to replace the machine and had informed the government in this regard.  

Price disparity
While at the Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics the cost of a CT scan would be just Rs 1,200, patients are forced to cough up anywhere between Rs 4,000 and Rs 8,000 at private diagnostics labs.  As a temporary arrangement, the hospital has signed an agreement with Clumax Diagnostics. However, patients only get a 50% rebate in the rate.
DH News Service