Rohit Shishodia
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has urged Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendra Jain to ensure installation of CT scan machine and appointment of full time radiologist in state-run Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital (DDUH).

The doctors’ body has stated that for over one year the CT scanner is non-functional in DDUH. “Non-availability of CT scanner delays the initiation of definitive treatment in critical patients and prognosis worsens with every minute's delay. Due to unavailability of diagnostics, the doctors have to face the wrath of patients and their attendants that usually results in violence,” says FORDA in a letter to Jain.

FORDA has said that not only the CT scanner but ultrasound is also not available after 4 PM and any patient needing ultrasound has to be referred to another hospital. In case of critical or pregnant women, transferring them to another centre may lead to disastrous outcomes varying for bleeding, infection, fetal distress to fetal and maternal death.

The doctor’s body has asserted that multiple requests to install CT scanner or repair the present CT scanner have been sent to hospital authorities. Till date, no initiative has been taken by authorities to address this serious problem.

Trauma patients, especially with head and abdomen injuries, need urgent diagnostics to assess the magnitude and location of the injury. CT scan plays a key role in identifying traumatic brain injury patients with intracranial injury.

The goals of imaging are mainly to detect injuries that may require immediate surgical or procedural intervention.