Two hosps in suburbs to get MRI machines….Pratibha Masand
MUMBAI: The BMC will soon install two more MRI machines in its network of hospitals in the suburbs. At present, only the three teaching hospitals of KEM, Sion and Nair Hospitals have an MRI machine, leading to long waiting lists.
Last week, municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar sanctioned two magnetic resonating imaging (MRI) machines to be installed at suburban hospitals-one at Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli and another at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi. “This was done keeping in mind the growing population in the suburbs,” said additional municipal commissioner (health) Manisha Mhaiskar said, the plan is still at the planning stage.
“We should have the machines installed within this budget year,” said Mhaiskar. BMC officials added that getting full-time radiologists to work the machine will be a more difficult task.
While the BMC’s decision underlines the need of better facilities in the suburban hospitals, it also shows the load that the major civic hospitals in the city-KEM, Nair and Sion Hospitals–have to face. A waiting period of a fortnight to two months is the norm in these hospitals, with only emergency cases catered to immediately.
But merely the installation of MRIs wouldn’t work, the BMC admits. “Installation of the MRI wouldn’t be a problem, but getting full-time radiologists to work the machines is difficult. For this, we are working out a way to link both the Shatabdi hospitals with the three main hospitals,” Mhaiskar said.