Pabna Medical Hospital yet to launch CT scan machine even a year after its opening

PABNA, Nov 18: Hundreds of extreme poor patients of Pabna district are suffering much as CT scan machine of Pabna Medical College & General Hospital could not be launched even a year after its inauguration due to lack of proper electricity connection.

The machine may be damaged any time if it is kept idle, said electricians related to the machine. To save the machine from ruination and for smooth medicare service of poor patient, urgent electricity connection should be installed.

Whenever the doctors advise the attendants of patients to ensure the test of the critical condition, the attendants are to go to private diagnostic centres for CT scan immediately at high cost. The rich people could bear the cost easily but poor people are seen unable to bear extra cost. The health department has allotted a Toshiba-160 model CT scan machine worth Tk 20 million to Pabna General Hospital to identify the critical condition of patients last year, said hospital authority.

Meanwhile, a technician has also been attached to operate the machine so that the patients could get standard medicare service. But, due to lack of power supply this valuable machine has been lying idle, causing sufferings to patients.

It is learnt that 220 volts' electricity connection is available here whereas a 440-volt power connection is required to run a CT scan machine. As there is no high-voltage power connection, the machine has to be started every day by charging the high-voltage battery.

An attendant of a patient Abdul Ahad who is a rickshaw puller by his profession said, he went to hospital three days ago taking his wife in a critical condition and doctor advised him to do CT scan.

As he is poor he is unable to pay the cost of CT scan in a private diagnostic centre at Tk 5200, he added.

Executive Engineer of Public Works Department Anwarul Azim said, "The CT scan machine could be operated immediately as a power sub-station has already been constructed at the hospital to set up a 440-volt power transmission line."

[email protected]