₹55 Lakh X-Ray Machine Lies Unused For Nearly 5 Years At Jogeshwari Trauma Hospital, Finally Operational

Mumbai: A portable X-ray machine worth Rs 55 lakh, donated to Jogeshwari Trauma Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, remained packed and unused for nearly five years before finally being made operational early this month. The machine came into focus after the hospital's existing X-ray machine stopped functioning during the Dahi Handi festival, forcing patients to be sent to Cooper Hospital for examinations.

Patients Sent To Cooper Hospital

Sending patients to another hospital for X-rays was not a practical long-term solution. Although the possibility of purchasing a new machine was discussed, the procurement process was expected to be time-consuming. Meanwhile, the hospital administration discovered that a portable X-ray machine donated during the pandemic had remained unused on its premises.

According to a senior hospital official, the machine had remained packed and had not even been unpacked since it was donated. The hospital administration subsequently called an engineer from the company to install the equipment.

Software Issues Delay Installation

However, the installation process encountered another hurdle: software compatibility. The machine had been lying unused for nearly five years, during which the software had been upgraded to newer versions. The issue was eventually resolved by arranging the older software required to operate the equipment, allowing the machine to become functional.

According to doctors at the hospital, the machine's portability is expected to be particularly beneficial for critically ill patients and those unable to move to the hospital's X-ray room. It can be taken to intensive care units (ICUs) or directly to a patient's bedside, allowing examinations to be conducted without shifting them.

Alternative During Technical Failures

Apart from providing an alternative when the hospital's regular X-ray machine develops a technical fault, the equipment will help reduce the difficulties faced by patients who cannot be transported easily for diagnostic tests.

The incident has also raised concerns about expensive medical equipment donated to civic hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic remaining unused for years. Health activist Chetan Kothari demanded an audit of such equipment across Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals as it could help identify machines that are lying idle despite being available for patient care.

“The episode highlights how procedural delays and unresolved technical issues can prevent costly medical equipment from reaching patients who need it, even when the equipment is already available at a public hospital,” said Kothari.

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