Chandigarh: Broken X-ray machines at GMSH-16 prolong patients’ pain
The machine in Room 1 also remains unavailable as the area is closed for renovation; this has resulted in long waiting times for all patients, with no prioritisation for emergencies
The Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16 is grappling with a serious crisis as two of its four X-ray machines remain out of service.
One machine in the emergency ward has been non-operational for as long as seven days, a major lapse in immediate care, while another in the out-patient department (OPD) is also down.
The simultaneous breakdown has caused significant inconvenience to patients, particularly senior citizens and the critically ill who require urgent X-ray services.
Patients have been forced to either get their scans in a separate hospital building or be referred to the Sector-22 civil hospital.
On average, around 3,500 out-patients visit the hospital daily, with around 30% from outside the city, many of whom are prescribed X-rays for accurate diagnosis.
Originally established in 1952 to serve a population of approximately 5 lakh, the hospital now receives referrals to its various departments from across the region.
To cater to this large footfall, GMSH operates four X-ray machines normally: three for OPD patients in Room Numbers 1, 4 and 8, and one in emergency ward’s Room Number 103. With the emergency machine non-functional, emergency patients are now sharing machines with OPD patients in Room Numbers 4 and 8.
The machine in Room 1 also remains unavailable as the area is closed for renovation. This has resulted in long waiting times for all patients, with no prioritisation for emergencies .
On Wednesday afternoon, 60-year-old Baksho Kaur from New Chandigarh, suffering from severe leg and knee pain, was seen waiting in a wheelchair outside X-ray Room 8 alongside routine OPD patients. Her son pointed out the added hardship caused by the worn-out tyres of the wheelchair, making even movement difficult.
Similarly, Geeta, a road accident victim, had to wait for a chest X-ray on a bench in Room 4, while her son, also injured, queued with other routine patients. Neither received any preferential treatment despite the emergency nature of their cases.
UT director of health services Dr Suman Singh acknowledged the problem, stating that although annual maintenance was in place, technical glitches can still occur. “There is some issue with the software integration of the machine. Engineers tried to rectify the fault, but in vain. A replacement machine is being arranged,” she said.
