2 days ago
Expired MoU halts MRI scan facility at Kanniyakumari Government Medical College and Hospital
Patients visiting the Kanniyakumari Government Medical College and Hospital have been struggling to access Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) scan services, as the facility has not been working for the past one week. Due to the non functionality of the machine, patients are being forced to rely on the private scanning centres.
Hundreds of patients, who visit the hospital for various treatments are dependent on the government's MRI facility, which is cost effective for those without insurance and free for those covered under the insurance schemes. For non insured patients, the hospital charges ₹2,500 per scan, considerably lower than charged by private facilities.
The MRI machine at the hospital, installed around 10 years ago, was operated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with a private firm, sources said. The MoU expired a few days ago, leading to the discontinuation of the service. As a result, patients were forced to seek service from private centres. Meanwhile, concerns have also been raised regarding the shortage of radiology technicians which is causing delays in the delivery of reports.
Patients and their attendants highlighted the importance of restoring the facility at the hospital swiftly, when The Hindu contacted them.
Surya, an attendant from Pallivilai said, 'The facility is crucial for the emergency cases, as currently people are traveling a few kilometers to access MRI services.' He added that the hospital has signed a MoU with a private centre for providing services at the same cost, many people are unaware of the policy and end up paying higher amounts at the centres.
Speaking on this, an official from the hospital administration confirmed that the MRI facility is currently non-functional. The official added that an MoU has been signed with a private scanning centre in the water tank road in Nagercoil, which would offer the service at the same rate charged by the hospital. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation limited will install a new MRI machine, within the next two or three months, the official noted.
Addressing the concerns over technician shortages, the official denied the claims, stating that the department has sufficient staff, including two technicians who have been in deputation.
