Mumbai: Amid the rising demand of patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests, the medical education department has decided to procure a new 3-Tesla MRI machine for the state-run Gokuldas Tejpal (GT) hospital for which a budget of ₹25 crore has been sanctioned. However, the tender of procuring an MRI machine is yet to be floated, which will be done soon.
This comes after the patients were asked to visit private clinics to get their MRI done, which used to cost heavy over ₹10,000. However, the government hospitals charge ₹1000 to ₹2000.
Use of AI to diagnose the disease
A senior doctor from the hospital said that the technology has been upgraded and many doctors are using artificial intelligence to diagnose the exact disease. Similarly, advanced MRI machines will also help to detect the disease.
“Over the years patient load has kept increasing and most patients are asked to undergo MRI and other diagnostics tests. But the machines have their limits as per day only 12 to 15 patients can undergo MRI due to which the waiting list kept increasing for a month and so on. There is a need for advanced MRI machines to reduce the wait list and patients do not have to pay extra,” he said.
A senior health official from the state health department said, “The fund, which has been sanctioned, is not only for procuring MRI machine but will also be included setting up MRI centre in the hospital. Current machines are facing technical problems and patients have to wait for months to get their tests done,” he said.
