PESHAWAR: Patients seeking healthcare facilities at Hayatabad Medical Complex have been facing hardships owing to the out-of-order diagnostic machines, according to doctors.

“We have to send samples from patients to have their blood gases done at Khyber Teaching Hospital or private outlets due to non-availability of machine. The test is essentially important to diagnose seriously sick patients in intensive care unit,” said, a physician at the hospital. The patients suffer due to administration’s inability to repair the faulty machines and equipments.“Only blood gas examination can help the medics in emergency medical treatment,” the doctor said.

Non-availability of bronchoscope has adversely been affecting patients, especially children, who are brought with some foreign matter in their bodies. Such children require immediate bronchoscope to see the location of the swallowed foreign body and take it out as soon as possible.

“We have seen two children dying for non-availability of the bronchoscope,” a physician said. Interestingly, the bronchoscope had become dysfunctional owing to a fault in the small equipment a few months ago. The administration of ENT “A” ward had repaired it as it was used for the patients of the same ward.

Official says they are installing new MRI and CT scanner at a cost of Rs280 million

The service was denied to the patients of ENT “B” ward, the physician said. The fault can be removed at a cost of Rs20,000 only.

Same is the case with endoscope machine, which had not been in use for the past five months, but it was used for the patients of medical “A” ward. The patients coming to gastroenteritis and medical “B” ward aren’t entertained through the machine.

“Medically speaking, gastroenteritis ward couldn’t be run without an endoscope machine because it is of fundamental significance to diagnose patients,” the physician said. As a result, patients had to be shifted to Lady Reading Hospital to undergo the examination, he said. He added that some of the patients died before getting an appointment for the test there because of workload.

Similarly, MRI scan has also not been functioning for the past four years due to which at least 40 patients from HMC were referred to KTH and private centres where they underwent not only troubles but paid more fee besides suffering the pain and agony caused to them by transportation.

The authorities have been able to repair CT scanner and echocardiography (children machine) and resume services only a month ago after one year.

Prof Noor Wazir, HMC Medical Director, told Dawn that all the equipments of the hospitals were available for all patients coming to the hospital.

“The endoscope was available to medical “B” ward and the patients have every right to use the machine. Actually, it was one medical ward which was split into two -- medical A and B wards. The endoscope remained in medical “A” ward because medical “B” ward was established at a separate place,” he said.

Same was true for bronchoscope that was used by ENT ward previously but now there was ENT “B” ward also, he said. “Both the wards are equally entitled to use the machine,” he said.

Prof Noor said that they were installing new MRI and CT scanner at a cost of Rs280 million. “We have received specifications from Shaukat Khanum Hospital and advertisement has been placed to buy these machines as soon as possible,” he added.

Prof Noor said the administration in consultation with the relevant experts and member of Board of Governors were trying to resolve other problems and facilitate the patients fully. “The government will buy new endoscope and bronchoscope,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2015

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