The Hindu : New Delhi News : Hospital without ultrasound machine for 10 years

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Hospital without ultrasound machine for 10 years

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Catering to a small population of a little over three lakhs, New Delhi Municipal Council's 50-bed Palika Maternity Hospital in South Delhi has been functioning without an ultrasound machine since 1995.

An essential procedure for expecting mothers, the ultrasound machine at the hospital has been "out of order'' for the past one decade after its main unit stopped working. Since then, patients have been referred to NDMC Charak Palika Hospital or asked to get the procedure done at a private centre.

Now the hospital has finally got approval for acquiring an ultrasound machine. However, doubts are being raised about "how the first machine went out of order and remained so for over ten years and why patients were referred to select private ultrasound centres''.

Ultrasound scan is currently considered to be a safe, non-invasive, accurate and cost-effective investigation to keep track of the foetus and has progressively become an indispensable tool in the care of every pregnant woman. Doctors claim that today they understand the need for continuous vigilance for expectant mothers and the growing foetus.

If done in private, the ultrasound procedure costs Rs. 300 to 500, while here it was done free of cost for NDMC employees and at Rs. 100 for the public.

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