Important machinery such as MRI and Flow cytomitry machines which are employed to diagnose cancer are out of order at Children’s Hospital due to which a number of child patients, mostly from poor families have suffered.
According to hospital sources, the MRI machine is out of order for the last two and a half years and the patients have to arrange tests from private hospitals which charge around Rs 10,000 per test. As many as 10 patients visit this hospital every day for this test and return disappointed, said sources.
Similarly, flow cytomitry machine, a laser based technology routinely employed in the diagnosis of health disorders, especially blood cancers, is out of order for the last three to four years.
Indigent, needy families of patients are forced to get this costly test done privately. Around 10 to 15 patients requiring this test visit the hospital every day. According to a doctor at the Children’s Hospital this test costs Rs 17,000 to Rs 22,000 at private hospitals.
The officials from the management of the hospital said that they had written several times to the Punjab Health department to seek their help and attention but the efforts went in vain.
Several parents of patients have fervently appealed to high-ups of Punjab health department to look into the matter as public sector hospitals are the last hope for poor patients.
