The CT scan machine is operated by the radiology and imaging department of the hospital. Head of department Nazmun Nahar told Prothom Alo that the hospital has two CT scan machines but both have been out of order since 2019.
In this hospital, not only two CT scan machines, but hundreds of machines are lying broken. According to the Health Department, 537 small, big and medium machines are out of order in this hospital.
These include larger machines like MRI or CT scan as well as smaller machines like pulse oximeter. In mid-July, Prothom Alo received an update from the DGHS on the machines at Rangpur Medical College Hospital in the financial year 2022-23, where the number of out-of-order machines was mentioned separately.
Rangpur Medical College Hospital is an important medical institution of North Bengal. It was established in 1968. At present its capacity is 1000 beds. However, on an average 2,000 patients are being admitted every day. People from eight districts – Panchgarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha – come to this hospital for treatment.
Established on 65 acres of land, this hospital is crowded with poor patients throughout the year. However, many people become discouraged when they come to emergency treatment for stroke or heart disease or road accident injuries. Year after year many emergency tests are not being done in this hospital. A section of doctors claim that there is no monitoring in the hospital. He says that influential businessmen often distribute machines that are not fit for use.