Barnala:  The only ultra sounds machine at Barnala Civil Hospital has been lying unused for past eight years now. The lack of machine has been forcing patients to get themselves diagnosed from private scan centres at high prices. Other reason the machine is lying defunct is due to lack of regular radiologist in Civil Hospital. Patients visiting hospital demand immediate restoration of machine.

Doctors at hospital state that even they are not sure when was the machine used for general public last time. Kuldeep Singh Subedar, resident of Handiaya village said that he has to go to private centre to get his ultra sound done who charge Rs 500. “Apart from harassment, I could have saved some money to purchase medicines”, added Subedar. Similar views were expressed by another patient Baljinder Singh Chouhan who gets his scan done at private centres. “Most of the patients visiting Government hospital belong to poor families and fail to pay high charges demanded by private centres,” says Chouhan.

As per hospital officials every day 30 to 35 patients are refused ultra sound facility daily. Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Kousal Singh Saini said that problem is due to lack of radiologist. Though we are taking services of private person but he only comes in the morning between 8 am to 10 am and 12 pm to 1pm. Saini further says that many times he has sent letters to Punjab Government for filling the post of radiologist but to no avail.

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