CMCH patients suffer as equipment, lab inoperative

Outside Dhaka, the Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) is the only government hospital with a brachytherapy machine, which is used for treating uterine cancer in women. Yet, such vital equipment has been inoperative since June of last year.

Not only this, the mammography machine used for diagnosing breast tumour/cancer has been out of order for a year.

To make things even worse, two other essential healthcare pieces of equipment, MRI and CT scan machines, continue to malfunction, while one of the two Cath labs remains closed for 21 months.

These operational shortcomings impose a heavy burden on patients, often leaving them with no choice but to seek expensive services at private clinics and diagnostic centres.

According to official sources, the CMCH authorities have written to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Central Medical Store Depot, and equipment suppliers several times, asking for the machines to be repaired. However, the applications have yielded no results so far.

Brachytherapy machine out of order for 15 months 

According to CMCH sources, the brachytherapy machine imported from Germany was installed at the hospital at a cost of around Tk6 crore in 2019. 

Later, engineers from the supplier recommended replacement of some spare parts of the machine after it went out of order on 6 June last year. The machine is not being repaired due to an unpaid bill for a package of the Central Medical Store Depot.

A majority of the 5,000-7,000 new patients at the CMCH outdoors each year have to undergo brachytherapy. 

Currently, a session of brachytherapy costs Tk5,000 at private hospitals in the capital, up from Tk1,500 at government hospitals.

MRI machine malfunctions several times in 4 years

The CMCH installed an MRI machine at a cost of Tk9.84 crore in August 2017, which broke down in late 2020 following the expiry of a three-year warranty period. 

The machine was then repaired by the supplier company, Meditel Private Ltd, at a cost of Tk9 lakh. In May last year, the imaging machine became completely ineffective following malfunctions several times.

As per CMC guidelines of the Ministry of Health, the maintenance cost is charged at the rate of 6.5% of the cost of the machine in the first year after delivery.

Accordingly, the maintenance cost of the MRI machine is estimated at Tk63.96 lakh, but the supplier has demanded Tk93 lakh to fix it, said sources from the hospital.

An MRI scan costs Tk5,000-20,000 at private hospitals, up from Tk4,000 at government hospitals.

An official of CMCH said the durability of an MRI machine in government hospitals should be higher than in private hospitals, considering its use. The device lasts at least 10 years in private hospitals. 

CT scan machine breaks down 3 times in 3 months

The CT scan machine, which is required to assess the condition of the brain following a head injury, went out of order three times in the past three months.

It first went out of order on 6 June. 

After 19 days, the machine was repaired and it became operational again on 25 June.

It experienced another malfunction on 4 August and was repaired, resuming operation on 2 September. However, it broke down again after a day and has remained out of order since then.

When functional, the machine serves 30 to 50 patients daily.

A CT scan test at the government hospital costs between Tk2,000 and Tk4,000, while private diagnostic centres charge between Tk3,000 and Tk10,000 for the same test.

Mammography machine out of order for a year

The mammography machine, used for diagnosing breast tumour/cancer in women, has not been functioning for a year. This has forced patients to bear the cost of around Tk2,000-3,000 to undergo the diagnosis at private hospitals, which would cost Tk800 at government hospitals.

The mammography machine broke down four times since its installation at the CMCH in August 2018. New Tech GT Ltd, supplier of the machine, did not take any initiative to repair it, despite repeated appeals from the hospital recently.

Cath lab shut down for 21 months

One of the two catheterisation laboratories, or cath labs, in CMCH's cardiology department has remained shut for 21 months, depriving patients of services like pacemaker insertion and angiogram. According to the hospital authorities, repair of the lab will cost Tk1.83 crore.

An average of 300 people take medical care every day at the 60-bed cardiology department of CMCH. Half of the patients have to undergo stenting and pacemaker implantation, and angiogram and angioplasty.

Currently, the functional lab provides block detection angiograms and pacemaker placement to around 15-20 patients, and ring insertion to 3-5 patients every day.

Given the situation, some patients have to wait two to three weeks for the cardiac services at CMCH, while many others rush to private hospitals for quick service.

Mahfuzur Rahman, convener of the Public Health Rights Protection Committee, told The Business Standard, "Due to the failure of these hospital equipment, underprivileged patients are being deprived of medical services. They cannot afford to go to private hospitals."

CMCH Director Brig Gen Md Shamim Ahsan told TBS, "We are repeatedly writing to the authorities concerned to repair the machines and the lab. We have to rely on suppliers for repairs.

"We are investigating how many times these machines have been out of order and calculating the days of operation. Necessary steps are being taken to quickly resolve these problems."