CT, MRI services halted at Lok Nayak Hospital

Due to the shortage of films in the Radiology Department, CT and MRI services have been stopped at Delhi Government-run multi-specialty tertiary care Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH) here for the past week. Only emergency and trauma cases are being handled at the hospital.

An internal letter dated September 30 from the Department of Radiodiagnosis addressed to the Medical Director stated, “We wish to bring to your notice that we are constrained to stop CT and MRI services immediately.”

“As you are aware, there is no supply of CT/MRI films for the past seven days and in the absence of the PACS system, there is a huge pendency on the mainframe computer. We fear that the system will crash and, as a precaution, the system is being shut,” added the letter signed by Dr Gaurav Shanker Pradhan, Director Professor & HOD at the Department of Radiodiagnosis.

The department said the services would continue only for emergency and trauma cases as a “humanitarian measure.”

A resident doctor at the hospital said: “CT scan and MRI have been halted for the past one week as films are not provided by the administration department.”

“Despite repeated requests over the last month that the reserve of film is low, nothing was procured on an emergency basis,” the doctor said.

The resident doctor said there had also been a shortage of gloves, saline and bandages during a short period of time.

The LNH, a major government hospital, currently has one CT scanner and one MRI machine in operation.

Doctors said the hospital requires at least two to three machines each to meet the patient load. “Patients are given MRI dates that are two to three years later,” said a resident doctor. “The X-ray unit also faces a shortage. Only two machines are working, while at least four or five are needed.”

Doctors said in the past, LNH had two CT scan machines and three to four X-ray units, but some of them have not been functional for several months. Requests for maintenance or replacement have been pending with the administration.

“Only head CTs and emergency scans are being done,” said another resident.

Earlier this year, an RTI reply had confirmed that only one CT and one MRI machine were operational at the hospital.

However, when asked about the reason behind this shortage, LNJP Director Dr BL Chaudhary said: “CT/MRI services are functional and films are available”.

More machines needed

Lok Nayak Hospital, a major government hospital, currently has one CT scanner and one MRI machine in operation. Doctors said the hospital requires at least two to three machines each to meet the patient load. “Patients are given MRI dates that are two to three years later,” said a resident doctor.