Madhya Pradesh: Rats chew CT scan machine cables at Gandhi Medical College

Bhopal: Rodent infestation at Gandhi Medical College,Bhopal seems to have reached elephantine proportions with rats entering the Nuclear Medicine Department and chewing to bits the cable attached to the Spec CT machine. Earlier in December last year they had eaten away the eyes of an unattended women lying dead on the premises of the hospital.

It is believed that in the recent incident, the rats have eaten away the cable that connected the Gamma camera to the CT scan imagery. It is reported that the Department of Nuclear Medicine had started conducting CT scans, only after Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan's surprise inspection of the hospital and the resultant transfers of many men in the top management. The Chief Minister had during his inspection had also directed the District Collector to personally supervise the sanitation drive, meant to free the medical hub of the rodent menace.

According to the latest update, a team of experts from the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre on Wednesday rushed to the Gandhi Medical College to assess the damages done by the rats.

According to sources the team ordered an immediate shut down of the CT scan machine. Fresh cables are to be laid and an order placed and an order has been placed for them from Bangalore. Cable repair work is to begin early in the coming week.

Hamidia, Kamla Nehru and Sultania, the associated medical hubs of Gandhi Medical College located in the same campus are all rat ridden. According to sources managing the cleanliness of the GMC premises, the main reason behind the flourishing rodent population is the left overs of the food that comes into the hospital, in the form of charity.The improper disposal of these left overs has the rats thriving on it.

"Often philanthropists and religious minded people distribute food to the needy inside the hospital campus. Some of this food is consumed but most of it is wasted and not disposed off and the rodents thrive on it," revealed a member of an NGO in conversation with the India Today. The NGO member works among the unattended patients at the hospital.

Health officers have expressed surprise over the DAERB surprise inspections of various government and private hospitals and diagnostic centres for compliance checks of Radiation Protection norms. The health officers revealed that the report that the DAERB officers submit to the state government will carry instructions for Government hospital authorities, private hospital authorities and even diagnostic centres. The health officials feel the closure of a number of sonography, X-ray, CT scan machines will lead to a lot of patient suffering.

However, some hospitals have been given a notice period of 30 days for up gradation indicating a clearance from the inspecting team, on Wednesday evening.,

Dr Veena Sinha, Chief Medical and Health Officer, said the DAERB officers gave suggestions and gleaned information from the doctors. However, no report has been received from them.

Meawhile, Pallavi Goyal, Commissioner, Health, when contacted, said she has not received any report from the DAERB, Mumbai officials. She said they were doing their job and suggesting protection from radiation generated from the X-ray, CT scan and sonography machines. "Collectors in districts and district health authorities have already been empowered to check the measures of protection from radiation," she added.

Dr Karan Peepre, said he knew of no inspection at the Gandhi Medical College's Radiology Department by the DAERB officers' team. Efforts to contact Dr MC Songara, Dean, Gandhi Medical College, proved futile. He was being contacted to know about the sealing of machines and talks carried out with the DAERB officers, reported the Hitavada.