With seven out of 44 Computed Tomography (CT) scanners in government hospitals down and transportation costs of patients awaiting scans exceeding Rs 12 million per month,
it is apparent that the Government would have to bear even more expenses should the entire health service be privatised, the Government Radiological Technologists’ Association (GRTA) lamented.
GRTA President, Chanaka Dharmawickrama, yesterday (16), observed that although some parties were proposing the privatisation of the health service citing such issues, the Government would undoubtedly have to bear a higher cost.
Dharmawickrama lamented that the CT scanners of Teaching Hospital, Ratnapura, Base Hospital, Karawanella, District General Hospital, Embilipitiya, Cancer Treatment Unit of General Hospital Hambantota, Base Hospital Kalmunai, General Hospital, Kalutara and the Outpatient Department of the Colombo National Hospital were out of service. He lamented that it had put the lives of patients at great risk while hospital staff too were greatly inconvenienced.
The machine at Base Hospital Karawanella has been broken since 15 February and currently, patients are being transported to General Hospital Kegalle. Transportation costs amounted to Rs 12 million per month, he said.
Dharmawickrama said the CT machine at Teaching Hospital, Ratnapura has been broken for the past two weeks and at District General Hospital, Embilipitiya since 30 June. He noted that the situation had caused severe delays in investigations being conducted by the two hospitals, leading to further delays in disease diagnosis.
The GRTA President further lamented that CT scanner machines at the Cancer Treatment Unit of General Hospital, Hambantota and General Hospital Kalutara, have been out of order for over one year. However, arrangements were underway for Kalutara to purchase a new CT machine, the GRTA President said.
In addition, the CT machine at Base Hospital Kalmunai has been broken for 1-½ months while patients were being transported to Batticaloa and Ampara hospitals.
Unfortunately, he said, even the new CT machine installed in the OPD of the recently opened NHSL was out of service for the past three weeks. The annual service contracts for some of the CT scanners have not been updated, while some of them have service contracts despite the delays in restoration.
The breakdown of these machines has placed the lives of the patients in danger due to the delay in the diagnosis of diseases, hindering treatment. Also, the Health Ministry would be able to purchase new machines or repair the existing ones when considering the money spent on transporting the patients to other hospitals to have their CT scans performed.
He accused Health Ministry officials of purposely delaying taking the necessary decisions to rectify the situation in the State-run health service.
(ceylontoday.lk)
