Goldi Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 10: The lack of Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) machine in the Government Medical College-Kathua is not only hitting the patient care adversely, while the gullible patients of rural as well as far flung areas are being forced to get MRI scans from the private players, that too by paying hefty amounts.
The College administration repeatedly urged the higher-ups for establishing the facility in the College but ironically, the Government is yet to take the final decision in this regard, consequently the patients are being forced either to go to the Govt Medical College Jammu for this scan or get it the same from the private centre.
Sources further said that three years back, the College and Hospital was established in Kathua which caters not only far flung areas of the district but also cater the border districts of Punjab. The absence of this facility in the premier hospital is forcing the gullible patients to travel nearly 100 kilometres from Kathua to Jammu to get scan at subsidized rate for their advance treatment that too after the long date from the GMC Jammu’s Radiology department which is already overburdened.
As per the senior faculty of the GMC Kathua said, “Everyday at least 10 patients were recommended for MRI scan to study the pattern of ailments detected in a patient, followed by it either surgery or other treatment can be recommended to the patients.” If the same facility is available in the Kathua hospital, the patient can take timely treatment otherwise it would have been delayed till the patient did not get the MRI scan.
“Sometime, the patient gets a long date of four to five months from the GMC Jammu which sometimes deteriorates the patient’s health adversely,” said Professor. Although, the Hospital administration time and again asked the higher-ups for providing sufficient manpower and advanced machinery like MRI machines, but nobody seems bothered about it, he added.
It can be gauged from this fact that the Radiology department having sanction strength is one Professor, two each Associate and Assistant Professors along with Senior Resident and Junior Resident doctors but ironically, presently only two Radiologists are manning the department with the help of 10 technicians.
“Out of 10 technicians, four of them are engaged for CT scan and remaining are helping in rotational level in X-rays, Ultrasound and other tests which come under the department,” said another source while wishing anonymity.
Due to the absence of sufficient manpower, especially the expert doctors in the department, the patient gets the long date of the CT scan from 2 to 3 months, while for Ultrasound, they (patients) get a 3 to 4 week date. “On daily basis, nearly 100 patients were recommended for Ultrasound wherein only 30 have been succeeded to get ultrasound and remaining 70 patients got a long date,” said a doctor adding that because of only two doctors in the department who serve the department in rotational basis (Day and Night) can make manually only 25 to 30 reports of Ultrasound in a day.
In CT scans, to make a report which takes about 15 to 20 minutes, but in some critical cases, it takes 30 to 45 minutes, said a Radiologist.
“If Government intentionally makes the Radiology department a fully functional department, at least 10 expert doctors including Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors posts should be appointed along with more than 20 technicians, otherwise the patient care will disturb,” said a doctor.
It is not a saga of only Radiology department, almost all the departments of this premier institution are functioning less than half sanctioned strength and the condition of the college and hospital will be deteriorated in coming days as most of the highly qualified faculty which is considered to be backbone of the this hospital have joined the AIIMS Jammu and GMC Jammu in recent recruitment made by both premier institutions of the Jammu.
Principal, Dr. Anjali Nadir Bhat admitted that it is a long pending demand of the institution and in the recent meeting with the higher-ups, she again raised the issue of installing MRI in the premier institution of Kathua. “The higher-up assured me along with other Principals of newly established GMCs that the matter would be resolved soon,” she added.
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