Hopeful patients coming to government hospitals for tests are facing a tough time as these hospitals either do not have the equipment or the devices are defunct. As a result, they are referred to other government hospitals that have the necessary equipment.
However, in some cases, patients are forced to shell out ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 for tests at private hospitals.
Since poor patients across the State visit hospitals in Hyderabad, doctors said that there is an urgent need to address the issue.
Some of the hospitals, which specifically attend to organ issues, too, lack crucial equipment. The Government General and Chest Hospital does not have CT scan, and Ultrasound equipment.
“CT scan is used to detect cancer or any early tumour in lungs, and tuberculosis. Since the Chest Hospital do not have the machine, patients are referred to MNJ Institute of Oncology Regional Cancer Centre. However, the institute did not take the referral patients during the pandemic. So some patients were forced to spend money at private hospitals. CT scan in private hospitals cost around ₹5,000,” sources in the hospital said.
The sources added that they have only one machine each for Bronchoscopy and Thoracoscopy.
Also, Electroretinogram (ERG), Electrooculogram (EOG), and Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) are not there at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital.
“ERG is used to detect retinopathy. Since no government hospital has the equipment, patients have no other option but private hospital where the test costs around ₹2,000. Apart from ERG, we do not have EOG, and VEP for at least 20 years,” sources in the hospital said.
At Gandhi Hospital, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine is defunct.
Senior officials from the State Health department said that orders to provide MRI machines at Gandhi Hospital and Osmania General Hospital (OGH) were issued long back. Besides, they said that plans are afoot to provide CT scan machines to all the teaching hospitals.
