KARACHI, March 26: Four out of total eight X-ray machines, available in the X-ray Department of Civil Hospital Karachi, have been non-functional for the last eight months, prodding patients to wait for their turn for hours.

According to official sources at the hospital, an X-ray machine in Room No. 8 of CHK's X-ray department is only leaking oil while the tube of another machine placed in Room No. 10 has burst.

The machine installed in Room No. 17 has some electronic fault, which according to the source is repairable, while the fault in the fourth out-of-order machine has not been traced so far.

An official source claimed that almost all the out-of-order machines were repairable at an inexpensive cost. However, due to apathy of hospital management, machines had not been repaired so far, he added.

Out of total four functional machines, only three were being used for general X-rays and the fourth one was reserved for special cases, he said, adding that due to the non-functioning of half of the total X-ray machines, available at the hospital, the over burdened staff often misbehaves with patients.

When a senior official of X-ray department was contacted, he said that all machines had spent over 10 years of their life, however, the hospital was still making efforts to keep them remain functional.

He said that repairing cost of the two machines was estimated around Rs25,000 and that of third one was not estimated yet. He further said that the fourth machine had become obsolete and was irreparable.

He claimed that the hospital management had been informed in writing about the prevailing situation, which was causing problems to the poor patients. He expressed hope that the machines would be repaired in the next couple of weeks.

According to the CHK's Medical Superintendent Dr Mirza Raza Ali, all the out-of-order machines had spent their lives and their defective parts were not available in the local market while the repairing cost was exceeding their original prices.

Dr Raza said that he had obtained permission from high-ups to purchase four X-ray machines, which would be installed in the hospital within the next three months. -PPI