CMCH indifferent to patients' sufferings
The X-ray service at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has remained suspended for over three weeks due to shortage of films, causing sufferings to the patients.
The crisis had begun after the hospital authorities refused to buy X-ray films from the market due to a bit of higher price than the government-fixed price.
The radiology and imaging department suspended the X-ray service for both the indoor and outdoor patients as the store department stopped supplying the big and medium sized X-ray films since January 10.
Store department is supplying small sized films to a very few number of emergency patients.
The patients of the lone tertiary level hospital in the region are now forced to get their prescribed X-ray done from different private centres at higher cost.
Shahadat Hossain, worker of a ship-breaking yard at Sitakunda upazila, who got a bad fracture in his right leg when a heavy plate fell on him while cutting a scrapped ship on January 16, was admitted to the orthopaedics ward No 26.
“On the very first day I could be able to get the X-ray done at the hospital at cheaper rate but after a week when the doctors prescribed for another X-ray I found it closed,” Shahadat said.
“Since I was unable to move at that time my brother hired a person from a nearby private centre named Chittagong Lab Limited who brought a portable X-ray machine to do my X-ray,” he said, adding that the private centre cost Tk 800.
“It was expensive for me but I had no alternative as the doctors refused to provide further treatment without X-ray,” he added.
While visiting the Orthopaedics ward on Monday morning, several patients were found getting their X-ray done with a portable machine from the same private lab.
Abul Kashem, a rickshawpuller of Rangunia, said he had to get four X-ray done paying Tk 1900 to the private lab. He was admitted to the hospital after a road accident on January 19.
Mokhlesur Rahman, a medical technologist of radiology department, said a patient is to pay Tk 70 for each X-ray in big films while only Tk 55 each in small sized films at the department.
On an average over 200 indoor patients from different wards like Orthopaedics, Neuro-Surgery and Casualty and also outdoor patients use to get the facility at the hospital everyday.
Mokhles said the crisis of shortage of films started when the government introduced a system to procure X-ray films locally in 2007 instead of the old system of purchasing through Central Medical Store Department (CMSD) in Dhaka.
Dr Anisul Maola, head of the Radiology and Imaging Department, said they got over 70,000 of X-ray films last year. There is no big sized film now in the department or in the CMCH store department, he added.
Sources said the situation worsens since the hospital authorities did not purchase any X-ray film this year as the government fixed rate was bit lower than the market price.
The hospital authorities floated a tender last year to procure medical equipment for 2010 with fixing rate for each 100 pieces of big sized X-ray films at Tk 5,000 while the lowest price was Tk 5075.
The authorities could not solve the problem due to transfer its director in January and failure of the new director to take over.
Senior Store Officer Dr Sheikh Jamal Mostafa discussed the matter with head of Radiology Department on Monday to find a way out for solving the issue.
Acting Director Dr Moinuddin Ahmad said they cannot buy any product exceeding the government fixed rate. He said they are planning to float fresh tender for buying the films after joining of the new director.
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