Telangana: Medical equipment have no operators

Hyderabad: High-end equipments like CT scan, MRI machines, mammogram machines and many others are being acquired by TS government for Rs 150 crore for the 50 area hospitals in the districts so that emergency care can be provided to the patients and they do not have to be shifted to other hospitals. However no technical staff is appointed to work on these machines. 

A senior officer of Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation said, “The machines are being ordered by the government to be put up in the hospitals which is a reverse trend. Earlier the doctors would give specifications of what machines they require and how many. But now government in a bid to modernise is giving these machines but there is no provision made for the operators and also the super specialist doctors.”

Another senior officer in the department explained, “In the case of CT scans, neurosurgeons must be posted in the hospital. Similarly for mammograms a cancer specialist has to be there at the hospital and accordingly a team of technicians, nurses, junior doctors and others have to be present for diagnostics and also prescribing the required treatment. These appointments have to go side-by-side. But while the equipment procurement process has begun the staff required for it is not being looked into.”