LAHORE: Hundreds of patients, including those suffering from cancer, are being denied diagnostic test facility at the Jinnah Hospital as its only magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine has been lying dysfunctional for the last two months or so.

The fault is reportedly of minor nature – refilling of helium gas – but the management of the teaching institute is taking the least interest in providing the facility to the patients. Resultantly, most of the patients are being forced to either visit go to local market for MRI scans at their own expense or being referred to other health facilities.

An official said the MRI machine was purchased in 2008 with Rs102m and the Jinnah Hospital was only the second public hospital in the city after the Mayo Hospital which was providing indoor treatment to cancer patients. As the hospital housed the only MRI machine, it was providing the scan facility to most of the cancer patients followed by those visiting with backbone problems.

“Sixty to seventy MRI scans used to be performed daily,” the official said and added that the most disturbing situation was that the machine was dysfunctional due to non-supply of helium gas only.

The matter was brought to the knowledge of Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Prof Dr Arif Tajammul when the number of patients deprived of critical facility shot up to hundreds during the last two months and the company violated the contract despite repeated requests to address the issue. The Jinnah Hospital medical superintendent (MS) had suggested him to take up the issue with the board of management but to no avail.

Poor patients, including those suffering from cancer, are being turned away

The official source lamented that out of the total patients visiting the hospital for the MRI scans over 90pc were poor.

Mr Tajammul was not available for comments. However, Head of the Radiology Department of Jinnah Hospital, Prof Dr Amir Nadeem, said it was a minor issue of refilling the helium gas.

“The company, which had supplied the MRI machine, changed its agent in Pakistan which led to unwarranted delay,” he informed Dawn.

It was matter of concern that the company had refilled 54pc helium gas some six months back when the institute had sent it a request after shortage of the gas, Prof Amir said.

He said according to the standard procedure, the company was bound to refill over 85pc gas to make the MRI machine functional for a couple of years at least. He further said the institute’s officials also witnessed that the visiting engineer of the company wasted an amount of the gas during the refilling, showing that the staff were lacking professional techniques.

“Consequently, the gas level dropped below 30pc of the deadline within six months and at this point further tests on the MRI machine might damage the equipment,” said Prof Amir who claimed to have contacted the country head of the company, apprised him of the entire matter and was now awaiting for his action to address the complaint. He added that if the matter would not be resolved as per the contract, the only option was to start procedure to blacklist the company.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2019