Cath lab without stents at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College

Thiruvanathapuram: With stents and other accessories running out of stock the Medical College Hospital functioning of the cath lab at the Medical College Hospital here is in all likelihood going to come to a grinding halt.

According to a recent report in TOI, the supply of stents, pacemakers, and other accessories to the MCH has been stopped as the hospital authorities have not cleared their dues of Rs 15.42 crore to the distributors. The distribution was stopped on December 15 and since then the cath lab has been functioning with the existing stock.

Furthermore, there are reports that even the existing stock of stents and accessories saw their last on Wednesday, bringing an end to any further angioplasties and angiograms. However, hospital authorities have refuted this saying the scheduled two angioplasties scheduled for Wednesday were performed.

The hospital’s Medical Superintendent, meanwhile, has clarified that Rs 3 crore has been sanctioned to the distributors and that the remaining fund will be released shortly.

"The reports that the angioplasties have been stopped are baseless. We have performed nine angiograms and two angioplasties today. We have also asked the distributors to supply the stents and other accessories and has assured them that the remaining dues will be cleared as soon as the fund is sanctioned," Dr. M S Sharmad, Medical Superintendent told TOI.

The distributors have however, claimed that the payment due is yet to be released to them. Till that happens, no distribution decisions are likely to be made they added.

"We have stopped the distribution since our repeated requests for clearing the dues were not heard by the hospital authorities," said Rajeesh Raghavan Distributor of pacemakers to the MCH’s cath labs.