Hyderabad: Scanner at NIMS fails, patients hit
Sources said that patients were being promised that they would be called once the machine is repaired.
Hyderabad: The gamma camera scanning machine at Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims), which is used to detect certain forms of cancer, has not been functioning for 10 days, forcing nearly 20 patients to return home without the tests every day.
Mr J. Umeshwar Rao of Secunderabad had accompanied his father-in-law, who has prostrate cancer, gone to Nims on May 15 for certain tests using the gamma camera. “Hospital authorities said the machine wasn’t working.”
He said he was referred to a private hospital but was charging a big sum which costs Rs 3,000 in Nims. He is still waiting for the cancer scanning machine to be fixed.
The room where the machine is kept was locked, and the oncology department, which performs this test, notes down the names of patients coming for tests.
Sources said that patients were being promised that they would be called once the machine is repaired. Mr Rao said he was calling up the hospital daily but there was no response.
Dr K. Manohar, Nims director, said, “The scanning machine is old and a particular part is damaged. It needs to be ordered from Germany. We have finalised a tender and expect the part to reach us in a week or 10 days.” He said doctors were patients to private hospitals and requesting them to charge the same amount as Nims.