The MRI machine was started at Nair Hospital in October. However, the tragic death of Rajesh Maru, a 32-year-old who got sucked into the machine, meant it was lying non-functional.
Though a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine was inaugurated at the BYL Nair Hospital, patients are still being referred to other civic hospitals for the scan. Officials said the MRI section isn't full-fledged yet, and they have only two technicians to work in one shift. This means patients during the other shifts are referred to Sion's Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital.
The MRI machine was started at Nair Hospital in October. However, the tragic death of Rajesh Maru, a 32-year-old who got sucked into the machine, meant it was lying non-functional.
Dr RN Bharmal, dean of BYL Nair Hospital, said, "We agree that there is a shortage of technician staff at the hospital. It is now running as a pilot trial with fewer technicians. We are not overloaded with patients, moreover, so a few of our patients have been referred to Sion Hospital. This ensures we aren't completely burdened. A proposal of appointing a technician has also been made to the higher authorities, and it's under process."
As per the Right To Information (RTI) response given by the public information officer of the hospital, during the nine months it was lying with them, patients who were supposed to undergo MRI tests were referred to five civic-run hospitals across the city: KEM Hospital, Sion Hospital, Kandivali's Shatabdi Hospital, Goregaon's Siddharth Hospital and Jogeshwari's HBT Hospital. This apart, two MRI centres — NM Medical Centre in Lower Parel and Jankaria Imaging — were also pressed into service.
The RTI application also stated that by October, before the machine was operational, seven patients from the neurology department, four patients from neurosurgery department, four patients from orthopedics department, four patients from ENT department and four patients from the general surgery department were sent to various hospitals for MRI tests.
In the pilot trial, on average, the hospital sees 10-12 patients for MRI tests.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "MRI Service")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}