Kochi: After initial hiccups, the MRI scan centre at the General Hospital here has entered the successful phase with hundreds of patients within Ernakulam and even from outside the district making use of the facility every week.
The USP of the centre are the low rates at which services are given. While it takes from Rs 7000 to Rs 10,000 for various types of MRI scans outside, at the GH it costs only Rs 1850 to Rs 3400, depending on the kind of scans.
The scan centre set up last March was functioning only during the day till recently and Sunday was a holiday which created a huge backlog of patients. As a result, they had to wait for more than one and a half week for scan appointments.
“A few weeks ago we could put things in order and convert it into a 24X7 service and therefore there are no more backlogs.
Most of the reports are given in the day itself and the remaining within a maximum period of 48 hours,” said Resident Medical Officer Dr P.R. Reshmi. The MRI scan centre, set up at a cost of Rs 5 crore, contributed by MPs P. Rajeev and Kapila Vatsyayanan and Cochin Shipyard Limited, scans up to 25 cases in 24 hours.
This has been made possible with the recent tie-up with HLL Lifecare Limited which provided its tele radiology facility to prepare reports. “We upload the films and the panel of radiologists at HLL examine them and prepare reports,” said Dr Reshmi.
Those who come with a clinical history and request from a doctor for a MRI scan can approach the GH centre. Last week an ambulance was added to the wing to take patients from different taluk hospitals, using the MP funds of P Rajeev.
