Mayo Hospital CT scan machine out of order

Machine had been installed in October, 2015

LAHORE: A computed tomography (CT) machine at Mayo Hospital has been out of order since last year, The Express Tribune has learnt.

“The machine was installed at the hospital on October, 2015. Within a few months, it became out of order,” said Dr Talha Sherwani of Mayo Hospital. He said that the machine had been imported from Japan at a cost of Rs40 million. “Unfortunately, the private firm that had imported it could not fix it,” he said.

He said that the hospital had another CT scan machine. “This machine had been installed in the ’80s. Due to its age, we are unsure about the accuracy of its results. For eight months now, we have been referring most of our serious patients to Ganga Ram and Jinnah Hospitals for CT scans,” he said. He said that a patient had died on Thursday while being taken to Ganga Ram Hospital for a CT scan.

Mayo Hospital Medical Superintendent Amjad Shehzad said that one of the two CT scan machines installed at the hospital had been out of order. “The dysfunctional parts of the CT scan machine have been imported. We are working on repairing it. Hopefully, it will become functional by next Monday,” he said. The MS said that punitive action would be taken against the supplier for the delay in repair.

Health Department Spokesman Akhlaq Ali Khan said that the supplier was responsible for the maintenance of machine for five years after its installation. “The department has initiated an inquiry. Strict action will be taken against them,” he said.

Salman Kazmi of Mayo Hospital said that the CT scan machine was important for helping detect a variety of diseases. “It is fast, painless, non-invasive and accurate in emergency cases. It can reveal internal injuries quick enough to help us save lives. It is also an accurate tool to detect cancer in the lungs, liver or kidneys,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2016.