Chandigarh 31st December; The 3 Tesla MRI of M/S Wipro G.E. installed at Advanced Trauma Center of PGI at the cost of Rs. 3.57 crore in 2013 has been creating havoc for patients and PGI staff operating and working on it.
Though, a huge sum of Rs. 3.57 crore have been spent to purchase the 3 Tesla MRI from M/S Wipro GE on 25.6.2012 but the Department of Radiology and Imaging has not considered it deem fit to install Generator for it as done for other machines.
As soon as, there is voltage fluctuation or electricity failure, the ambient temperature of chillers, which should be between 10-15 degree Celsius increases and MRI stops scanning. It takes more than half an hour to reboot the system even if there is electricity failure for a fraction of minute.
In case of longer electricity failure, the chillers do not work and the temperature of Helium increases, which should be about 270 degree Celsius below zero, therefore, it takes hours to restart / operate the MRI. It increases the operational cost of MRI manifold.
The Medical Technologists, who interact directly with patients and general public, are facing the brunt and wrath for the follies of Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, PGI, which has been causing delay in the treatment of emergency patients coming to ATC and other areas. Though, the Medical Technologists are not responsible for the poor infrastructure but they face rebukes from patients and general public, who even allege their connivance with private clinics for extraneous consideration for keeping the MRI out of order, which is highly unfortunate.
The PGI MTA demands that higher authorities of PGI must immediately intervene for installation of Generator set for 3 Tesla MRI of Advanced Trauma Center. An enquiry may be marked to fix the responsibility for such a serious lapse and blunder including extraneous reasons, if any.