The Computer Tomography (CT) scan machine of Doon hospital which broke down on Tuesday could take at least two-three more days to get repaired. The engineers working on the problem are waiting for some spare parts to arrive from Delhi to fix the problem.
The in-charge of CT scan machine of Doon hospital Mahendra Bhandari told The Pioneer that the spares would arrive on Friday and the machine is expected to become functional on Saturday.
He said that machine developed snag when the operators of the machine lowered the platform of the CT scan machine for an aged patient.
Bhandari accepted that the machine is causing problems as it is more than nine years old. He said the department has a ten-year maintenance contract with Seimens Company.
The Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of Doon hospital Dr RS Aswal said that the hospital administration has written many times to the directorate to replace the aging machine.
The radiologists of the hospital want the latest Dual Energy based CT scan machine with a capability of 128 slices. The hospital authorities plan to put the existing CT scan machine -in case they get a new one- in the emergency ward of the hospital so that the trauma patients get the facility of immediate CT scan.
The patients who were referred CT scan by the doctors are facing problems in absence of the facility and many of them are forced to cough out extra money to get the scan done from private centres, which always rejoice when CT or MRI machine of Doon hospital develop a snag. The private centres charge `4000-5000 for CT scan while in Doon hospital the fee is only `1500. The hospital charges nothing for the facility from the Below Poverty line (BPl) patients.