Testing times at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital as machines don't work

Organised chaos prevailed at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital as patients ran around to find out just where they could their tests done. Doctors at the hospital are prescribing lab tests to patients, but the machines that perform these tests are not functioning. Queuing up at the counters, hapless patients are being told that tests cannot be conducted, and they would need to get them done somewhere else.

Rajesh Arora is one of those left helpless. After consulting a private doctor, Arora brought his wife to DDU hospital a week back to get a lump on her left breast checked. The senior resident doctor present in the OPD prescribed a mammography test, and an ultrasound, to ensure that she was not suffering from breast cancer. Arora was asked to get the tests done from the hospital lab and bring the reports the next day.

"When I reached the lab room, I was told that mammographies do not happen here, as the machine does not work. In the other room, I was told the ultrasound machine has a long waiting period and it will take at least one month for our turn. I was confused as to why the doctor asked me to come here in the first place," said Arora, who runs a small watch counter at Chandni Chowk.

A doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the CT scan machine has not been working since March 31.

In fact, this is the third time in the last two months that the machine has failed.

Doctor AK Mehta, Medical Superintendent, DDU said they hope to resolve the problem soon.