Kalimpong Hospital scan machine gathers dust

NISHA CHETTRI, SNS, KALIMPONG. 5 JANUARY 2018: Machines used to conduct key tests like MRI scans, Digital X-ray, CT scan and many others that were brought to the Kalimpong District Hospital under the National Health Mission (NHM) have not been fully operational in the past one year. The NHM had spent a whopping Rs 12 crore to have the machines installed in the hospital.

Despite the fact that the machines has been lying almost useless sources said that around Rs.30 lakh was spent to refill helium gas in the MRI machine a few months ago. 

Initially, the Bhilai Scan research Centre, a private agency that operates MRI and CT Scan machines, had been selected through a tender process at the state level, while its representatives came to Kalimpong and engaged manpower as per their requirement. The commissioning part was completed and the technical people checked and certified that the machine was ready for use.

The process has it that once the agency is selected, it has to submit a security deposit of Rs 50 lakh and sign an agreement for operating the machine with the superintendent of the district hospital who will act on behalf of the state government. The security money is mandatory as the machines are very expensive and the ones who handle the machines should be liable in case of any damage.

"The agency visited us and said they have some problems and require two-three months' time for the deposition of the money, but the state government denied their request because the deposit should be submitted in a weeks time after the selection of the agency as per the rules,"  a senior official at the hospital here said.

There is a special part in the MRI machine which is called the 'chiller-part' and its function is to maintain the helium gas level and its temperature at minus 8 degree centigrade. For that, the machine has to function 24x7X365 days,which means a power backup is compulsory.

"I have already asked the state government in writing about what will happen next.And the next procedure is re-tender. 

Re-tender to select a new agency, but that happened between March/ April 2017 after that the situation worsened here." a hospital official said here.

However this is yet another problem, which only the government can solve, as a technician a specialist is required to use such a sophisticated machine.

A radio technician and a medical transcriptionist', are required where the transcriptionst's part is to take the film and transcript the radiologist online and then to the doctors concerned, who will write down the reports and send them hack, which will later be had in the MRI print," said a senior doctor, adding that after the recent Gorkhaland agitation, they had contacted the state government on this through the CMOH (Chief Medical Officer of Health).

"Two technicians from the North Bengal Medical College are presently operating the machine on a trial basis, while they are conducting only CT scans as of now. However, they are not very confident about the other services like the MRI. They have in fact expressed their inability to operate the MRI machine. They need more training," hospital sources said.

Problems faced by people in having the tests will endorse the machine starts functioning in the hospital, and it is learnt that the Kalimpong district hospital will conduct the tests for free as per the Public Private Partnership mode and all that is required for the tests is a district hospital doctor's prescription.

"If someone here needs an MRI tests, it will cost him/her Rs 3000 in Siliguri, while they have to reserve a car to go there, eat, and there are other miscellaneous expenses. Altogether people spend more than Rs 5000 for a test, which can be done here for free," a senior resident of the town said.