Jammu, Aug 17: Finally, after a long wait of nineteen years, the Jammu region will get its second Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine for screening the patients and their treatment for various critical ailments.
The MRI Machine will be put in place at Government Medical College and Hospital-Jammu (GMC&H), the premier health institute of this region.
“The new MRI machine will be made functional within a month at the GMC-Jammu,” Dean and Principal, Government Medical College and Hospital-Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta, informed Rising Kashmir, while adding, “The magnets and other allied items of the MRI machine have been received and we are putting in place all the set up to operationalise the MRI machine at an earliest”.
Presently, there is only one MRI machine at the GMC-Jammu and the entire region is dependent on this only machine.
As of now, the major hospitals of Jammu region namely, Super Specialty Hospital (SSH), Jammu, SMGS Hospital-the premier maternity and paediatric hospital of this region, the Chest Diseases Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital, 3 newly established GMCs and all the 10 District Hospitals of Jammu region are all dependent on 1 MRI Machine for screening of the patients of entire Jammu region.
The only MRI machine is in place at GMC-Jammu and patients of the entire region have to visit GMC-Jammu to get the MRI scan. The situation is such that patients have to wait for a month or two to get the MRI scan after which their treatment gets really started.
There are 2 MRI Machines in Kashmir hospitals one at GMC Srinagar and the other at SKIMS. However, in Jammu there is only one MRI Machine at GMC Jammu.
The delay in getting MRI scan also delays the treatment of the patients, which at times results in loss of precious time for initiating the treatment.
Due to long dates at GMC-Jammu, the patients have no other option but to go to private clinics for the MRI scan so that their treatment is started on time.
One MRI Machine costs around Rs 25 to Rs 30 crores.
The only MRI Machine in Jammu region in the GMC Jammu was put in place in 2004. This MRI machine has its compulsions as only 25 to 30 MRI tests can be conducted per day.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a type of scan that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body.
An MRI scan can be used to examine almost any part of the body, including brain and spinal cord, bones and joints, breasts, heart, blood vessels and internal organs, such as liver, womb or prostate gland.
