4 days ago
MGMGH caters to more patients under new MRI scan centre timings
The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan centre at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tiruchi has been able to attend to a greater number of patients after it became a 24-hour service in recent weeks.
Earlier, MRI scans would be carried out only by prior appointment at the centre which would work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The rush for scans would often delay the process, including the report collection.
Patients also complained about having to wait for more than 10 days to get a scanning appointment. It is estimated that MRI scans have increased from 25 to 40 daily as a result of the new timings.
'We have been attending to an extra 15 cases per day, as the waiting time has been reduced. The Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation has sanctioned extra technicians for the centre. This has also helped to speed up the turnaround time for reports,' S. Kumaravel, dean, K.A.P.V. Government Medical College, attached to MGMGH, told The Hindu on Wednesday.
'We were alerted to the issue of delayed appointments, and decided to increase the hours to help patients access treatment faster. The new timings were instituted in the past few weeks,' said Dr. Kumaravel.
In the new system, in-patients can undergo MRI scans upon admission for a better treatment plan, he added.
The GH receives approximately 5,000 out-patients, and 1,500 in-patients on a daily basis.
MRI scans cost ₹2,500 at the hospital. They are free of charge for patients covered by the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.
The scan facility was inaugurated at MGMGH in 2018, and is equipped to carry out cardiac MRI, neuro perfusion, diffused tensor imaging, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) flow study, cartilage mapping, magnetic resonance mammograms, whole body MRI scanning in a single shot to pick up secondaries in the bone like PET (positron emission tomography) scan, and all angiograms.
