Radiology and imaging diagnostic sector in Bangladesh
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Md. Mofazzal Hossain
The department of radiology has become one of the most expensive departments within any hospital to equip, operate and maintain, because of the large number of high-tech medical equipments introduced in this diagnostic field during the period of last ten years. These equipments are not only sophisticated, costly and expensive at the initial purchase, but the supplies used in conjunction with these equipments such as film; cassette, chemicals, contrast media etc. are also very costly. A large amount of money has been invested in this sector in recent years while a significant number of skilled manpower has been employed. Modern radiology and imaging methods require technologists with new technical skills. We have a need for more educated and highly-skilled technologists to determine the narrowed technical latitude of films, selection of operation protocol, image quality control and information collection, maintenance of sophisticate equipments and for the gentle handling of costly equipments. In most radiology departments, the skilled technologist of today has assumed a great portion of the economic management of the department by the proper operation of the equipments, use the optimum technique, maintenance of equipment and the ordering and effective utilization of supplies. Initially, a huge number of general and fluoroscopic X-Ray machines were installed in Bangladesh in both government and private radiology departments. But during the period of 1980- 2008, a lot of newer modalities have been included in the radiological diagnostic system. Now CT scan machine, MRI, Mammography, CR system, Digital Radiography, CT angiogram, PET scans, and PACS are available in Bangladesh According to a study of Bangladesh Association of Radiology and Imaging Technologists (BARIT) and the information of Atomic Energy Commission of Bangladesh, about 3,500 radiology installations are providing their diagnostic facilities all over the country. There are 8,000 general radiography and fluoroscopic radiography machines installed in the radiology departments in operation around the country, at a cost of about Tk 8.0 billion. On the other hand, during the period of 2000- 2010, about 150 CT, 45 MRI, 20 digital radiography machines and also 350 CR system has been introduced in our radiological diagnostic system while recently a few true DR systems have also been installed. During the period of last ten years a lot of investors invested their capital in the health sector, especially in installation of diagnostic centres and the government also invested a huge amount of money for developing the facilities in the diagnostic departments of the government medical college hospitals, specialised hospitals and also the district hospitals. A total of about Tk 17 billion have been invested for the installation of newer machines at the radiology and imaging departments in the country during the last ten years. About 75 companies are now importing and distributing radiological products in Bangladesh. To assure better treatment for the patients, our physicians are fully depended on modern radiological diagnosis. According to the BARIT study, more than 18 million different types of radiological examinations are conducted in the country every year, at an approximate cost of about Tk 5.7 billion. Radiologists, Medical Technologists, X-Ray Technicians, and attendants are directly employed in the radiology imaging diagnostic departments. Presently, there is an acute shortage of medical technologists in the country. There is a need of at least 8,000 medical technologists (radiography) for meeting the current requirement of our radiological installations. But only 1300 technologists are presently available in this field. Most of our diagnostic centres are running with unskilled X-Ray technicians. However, about 3,800 people are presently employed in this field, earning an approximate income of Tk 1.7 billion annually. A good number of engineers, accountants and science graduates are also employed in this sector. It is estimated that the radiology centres operating in Bangladesh have an annual earning of about Tk 3.1 billion. The writer is a radiological technologist and president of Bangladesh Association of Radiology and Imaging Technologists
The department of radiology has become one of the most expensive departments within any hospital to equip, operate and maintain, because of the large number of high-tech medical equipments introduced in this diagnostic field during the period of last ten years. These equipments are not only sophisticated, costly and expensive at the initial purchase, but the supplies used in conjunction with these equipments such as film; cassette, chemicals, contrast media etc. are also very costly. A large amount of money has been invested in this sector in recent years while a significant number of skilled manpower has been employed. Modern radiology and imaging methods require technologists with new technical skills. We have a need for more educated and highly-skilled technologists to determine the narrowed technical latitude of films, selection of operation protocol, image quality control and information collection, maintenance of sophisticate equipments and for the gentle handling of costly equipments. In most radiology departments, the skilled technologist of today has assumed a great portion of the economic management of the department by the proper operation of the equipments, use the optimum technique, maintenance of equipment and the ordering and effective utilization of supplies. Initially, a huge number of general and fluoroscopic X-Ray machines were installed in Bangladesh in both government and private radiology departments. But during the period of 1980- 2008, a lot of newer modalities have been included in the radiological diagnostic system. Now CT scan machine, MRI, Mammography, CR system, Digital Radiography, CT angiogram, PET scans, and PACS are available in Bangladesh According to a study of Bangladesh Association of Radiology and Imaging Technologists (BARIT) and the information of Atomic Energy Commission of Bangladesh, about 3,500 radiology installations are providing their diagnostic facilities all over the country. There are 8,000 general radiography and fluoroscopic radiography machines installed in the radiology departments in operation around the country, at a cost of about Tk 8.0 billion. On the other hand, during the period of 2000- 2010, about 150 CT, 45 MRI, 20 digital radiography machines and also 350 CR system has been introduced in our radiological diagnostic system while recently a few true DR systems have also been installed. During the period of last ten years a lot of investors invested their capital in the health sector, especially in installation of diagnostic centres and the government also invested a huge amount of money for developing the facilities in the diagnostic departments of the government medical college hospitals, specialised hospitals and also the district hospitals. A total of about Tk 17 billion have been invested for the installation of newer machines at the radiology and imaging departments in the country during the last ten years. About 75 companies are now importing and distributing radiological products in Bangladesh. To assure better treatment for the patients, our physicians are fully depended on modern radiological diagnosis. According to the BARIT study, more than 18 million different types of radiological examinations are conducted in the country every year, at an approximate cost of about Tk 5.7 billion. Radiologists, Medical Technologists, X-Ray Technicians, and attendants are directly employed in the radiology imaging diagnostic departments. Presently, there is an acute shortage of medical technologists in the country. There is a need of at least 8,000 medical technologists (radiography) for meeting the current requirement of our radiological installations. But only 1300 technologists are presently available in this field. Most of our diagnostic centres are running with unskilled X-Ray technicians. However, about 3,800 people are presently employed in this field, earning an approximate income of Tk 1.7 billion annually. A good number of engineers, accountants and science graduates are also employed in this sector. It is estimated that the radiology centres operating in Bangladesh have an annual earning of about Tk 3.1 billion. The writer is a radiological technologist and president of Bangladesh Association of Radiology and Imaging Technologists