Orissa high court directs state government to consider installing CT scan machine at Sishu Bhawan in Cuttack

Cuttack: Orissa high court has directed the state govt to explore the feasibility of installing a slice CT scan machine at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (also called Sishu Bhawan), Cuttack, instead of SCB Medical College and Hospital, citing infrastructural hurdles at the latter.A division bench comprising Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh passed the direction on Sept 18, while hearing a matter related to the continuation of CT scan services at SCB, while a new machine was ready for installation.Taking note of the affidavits filed by Dr Goutam Kumar Satpathy, SCB’s medical superintendent, and Dr Poma Tudu, managing director, Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd (OSMCL), the court asked Dr Pravakar Mishra, superintendent of Sishu Bhawan, whether the machine could be installed at the paediatric hospital.

Mishra informed the court that “space wouldn’t be a deterrent factor” and confirmed that the machine “can also cater to the needs of the paediatric patients”.Accordingly, the bench directed the state govt to explore the possibility of installation of the slice CT scan machine, which is ready for delivery, in Sishu Bhawan instead of SCB. The matter has been posted for further hearing on Oct 23, with the court directing the state counsel to obtain necessary instructions on feasibility in the meantime.

As per the affidavits, three CT scan machines are currently operational at SCB — two in-house units at the Regional Diagnostic Centre and one under PPP mode in the radiology department.Both officials clarified that the slice CT machine, worth Rs 12 crore, was initially meant for the SCB redevelopment site and would be installed only after the project is ready.“All the three CT scan machines are functional to cater to the existing and anticipated load of 200 to 300 numbers of cases at SCBMCH, Cuttack per day,” Satpathy stated in his affidavit dated Sept 16.

He also added that the PPP mode continues to be essential as “the hospital has got limited technical human resources to run the high-end machines such as CT scan, MRI and ultrasound”.Tudu, in her affidavit, also stated that during a committee meeting held on Sept 9, it was noted that the CT scan caseload is around 200-300 cases per day, and the PPP-operated machine helps balance the workload. “With the existing manpower, the radiology department is able to cater about 60-70% of the total caseload… the balance cases are being reported by the CT scan machine operated through PPP mode,” she stated.