Vijayawada: Patience tested' in state-run hospitals

Vijayawada: The two Government General Hospitals located in the state capital region do not have CT scan and MRI facilities, affecting hundreds of patients who visit these hospitals in Guntur and Vijayawada cities every day. While Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is quite particular in increasing facilities in all hospitals, the issues of the hospitals in the capital region are not being addressed.

In fact, Mr Naidu had promised to develop the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Mangalagiri as a world-class institute. For CT and MRI scans, equipment that is considered a must these days, people have to run from pillar to post. When contacted, Vijayawada GGH Superintendent Ch. Jaganmohan Rao said that they don’t have the facilities. “The CT scan machine is not functioning for the last few months,” he said and added that they have gone for a tie-up with a private hospital for the service at a reasonable tariff.

Meanwhile, Guntur GGH superintendent D.S. Rajanaidu said that the CT scan in that hospital was working. “But, we don’t have MRI,” he said, adding that the government has to take a final call on the issue. “We have got everything ready for MRI system,” Dr Rajanaidu said. He said that at present, the hospital has a tie-up with a local scanning centre, selected through bidding. “Several patients are running from pillar to post to get the services of CT Scan and MRI services in these government hospitals,” A.N. Radhakrishna, co-chairman, APCC Doctors Cell, said. He demanded the government immediately improve the facilities in these two capital region hospitals.