ISLAMABAD – The two computerised tomography (CT) scan machines at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) were out of order and the number of patients at private clinics and laboratories of the doctors concerned at this hospital was increasing manifold, a source in the radiology department of PIMS told Pakistan Today. The source said there were only two CT scan machines in the hospital and both had been out of order for the last six months because of poor maintenance. The patients were compelled to visit the private clinics and laboratories of PIMS doctors and pay high rates to avail the CT scan facility, said the source. He said that the doctors and the management were not paying due attention to the issue and were referring poor patients to their private clinics to make money.
“One can verify the number of patients visiting the private clinic of the head of this department. Before the CT scan went out of order the number of patients visiting were 5 to 6 but in the last two days it has increased to around 20 patients every day,” he said. The source said the machines were not functioning properly and the issue was in the notice of the hospital administration but no action had been taken as yet.
He said the cost of a scan ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 in PIMS and up to Rs 4,000 in private labs. The source said further, “If the top management continues such careless attitude, the CT scan machines worth Rs 30 million may get ruined.” Ayesha Asif, a patient who had come to the radiology department for a CT scan said her doctor at PIMS prescribed a CT scan without even bothering to tell her that the machine was out of order.
She said she did not have Rs 4,000 to get a CT scan privately so she would go to Bait-ul-Maal first to get some money for the test. CT is a test that uses X-ray equipment and computer software to create pictures of the inside of human body and CT scans are used to diagnose and monitor many health conditions including cancer.
