Delay in diagnostic tests at Patiala hospital hits services

Karam Prakash

Patiala, March 12

Delay in medical treatment — owing to long waiting line for getting diagnostic tests conducted — has become a common practice at Government Rajindra Hospital.

It has been learned that waiting period to get an MRI or CT scan conducted is around four weeks for OPD patients at the hospital. Due to this, the potential health risk and worsening of the patient’s condition due to the postponing of the course of treatment looms large, say health experts.

Admitted patients given priority

High patient load at the hospital is also a major reason behind the delay. Besides, the admitted patients are given priority and their scans are run the same day. Dr Manoj Mathur, radiodiagnosis dept head

Even for an ultrasound, which takes hardly 20 minutes, the waiting period is around two weeks. The Tribune discovered that poor patients, who come from far-off places, can’t even muster the courage to question the untimely delay.

In one such incident, a woman from economically-weaker background had to plead a lady doctor to get an early date for her husband’s scan. A doctor at the hospital said: “A test report of an MRI or CT scan is must to proceed with the further treatment. If there is a delay in the tests, the treatment gets delayed consequently.”

Hospital authorities said they had to give priority to in-patients. The department claimed that they had only one machine for CT scan and MRI, which was leading to the delay.

However, there is no staff shortage at the department. As per records, there are 27 junior residents, three senior residents and 10 faculty members, including two professors, whose average salary is above Rs 2 lakh per month.

Dr Manoj Mathur, head of the Radiodiagnosis Department, said: “High patient load at the hospital is also a major reason behind the delay. Besides, the admitted patients are given a priority and their scans are done on the same day.”

No staff crunch at radiodiagnosis dept

There is no staff shortage at the Radiodiagnosis Department. As per records, there are 27 junior residents, three senior residents and 10 faculty members, including two professors, whose average salary is above Rs2 lakh per month.