MOAZUM MUHAMMAD
Srinagar, May 17: The SMHS hospital here sans the vital Computed Tomography (CT) scan machine forcing the patients to do the test at the private clinics.
 Sources said the new CT scan machine purchased by the Government has been stuck in Delhi while the civil work for its installation is undergoing at a “slow pace” in the hospital here.
 The patients visiting SMHS diagnostic centre are being asked to get the CT scans done at some private clinics. Incidentally, the hospital has an alternative CT scan machine, however it has not been used for past three months.
 “As an alternative, the hospital authorities could have started CT scan machine placed in the super specialty hospital,” said a senior doctor wishing anonymity.
 He said the process for purchasing the machine was started in July last year. “However, due to administrative hassles, it took long time for procurement of the machine. Its installation has been delayed as the space for it is still under construction,” he said adding the pace of work is slow.
 “I have been visiting the hospital for past over a month for doing the CT Scan. But every time the hospital authorities give one or the other pretext for delay in the machine’s installation,” a patient from Tangamarg told Greater Kashmir.
 The funds for the procurement of the CT scan machine were provided by the Chief Minster Omar Abdullah last year.
 Principal Government Medical College Dr Shahida Mir said the new machine would be installed in SMHS soon. “The CT machine was old and had outlived its utility. We are going to install a new machine within 10 days. The civil work for its installation will also be completed soon,” she said.
 Minster for Medical Education R S Chib admitted that the patients are suffering in absence of the machine. “We will be commissioning three machines in the hospital within three weeks,” Chib said. However he refuted that the new machine was in Delhi.
 “It (machine) is very much in the hospital,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 IST