ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on Tuesday informed the Senate that the federal capital has only one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine in the public sector hospitals.

A question was asked by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) about the number of functional MRI scanners/machines in government hospitals in Islamabad along with the date of their installation and model.

In a written reply, the minister for NHS informed the house that an MRI machine was installed at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in 2007 but it was declared condemned on Feb 16, 2021. A new machine is likely to be delivered to the hospital by a firm by the end of January 2022. No MRI facility is available at Polyclinic. However, in the current financial year, the procurement of one MRI machine is likely to be completed for the hospital.

There is only one functional MRI scanner/machine at the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM). The machine was installed in 1996 and its range was 1 Tesla though 1.5 Tesla was preferred.

Machine installed at Pims in 2007 was declared condemned on Feb 16, 2021; installation of new one expected soon

It may be noted that Prime Minister Imran Khan has the charge of the federal health minister.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan said though only one MRI machine was functional in the federal capital Pims will get a new machine next month.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Senator Dr Meher Taj Roghani said the matter was taken up by the parliamentary committee on health and it was learnt that the procurement of the MRI machine for Pims had been delayed. She suggested taking action against those responsible for the delay.

PTI Senator Syed Ali Zafar asked about the details of registered cases of substandard and spurious medicines in the country during the last five years and action taken.

The house was informed that 108 cases were registered; registration of 12 products was cancelled out of which three were allowed again to start production. Show-cause notices were issued for cancellation of four products and strict warning was issued to manufacturers of three products.

Moreover, the registration of 33 products was suspended and 32 were under process.

Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan asked if it was true that old permanent pacemakers were being implanted in Pakistan whereas in developed countries advanced leadless pace markers were in use. However, the ministry did not give any reply.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2022