Out of order notice continues to hound X-Ray machine at STNM Hospital

OUT OF ORDER

The X-ray machine room at the STNM Hospital might as well take down its caution notice since the facility has remained shut for a while now. A handwritten scrawl announces that it is “out of order” and enquiry reveals that it has remained so for around a month now. Meanwhile, people have to get their X-rays done at private clinics which are a lot costlier. No surprise then that whispers circulate and snide remarks are passed by every passerby…

GANGTOK, 08 May: The digital X-Ray machine at STNM Hospital has been “out of order” for the past one month and with the older machine also often ‘out of order’, patients requiring such facility need to seek it outside.
The digital X-Ray machine was installed at the state’s premier hospital by Sun Pharma company under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme. The Health Department setup the machine at the hospital under a comprehensive maintenance plan with the X-Ray machine company, i.e. Phillips from Holland.
Speaking on the reasons for the administration putting up the “out of order” notice in one of the most used facilities at the hospital, Medical Superintendent, Dr. Yogesh Verma explained that the machine which was a very sophisticated piece of equipment had developed some technical malfunctions in the mother board which had led the hospital authorities to immediately repair the same at the earliest for the convenience of the general public.
“We have two engineers from the company stationed here at the hospital who are working on the machine. We understand that there could be some inconvenience caused to the public but the machine has to be repaired if it is to be used again,” explained the MS.
He went on to add that parts of the machine which is of Phillips make have to be imported from the company’s warehouse in Singapore since it is not available anywhere else in the country.
“The engineers have asked for the final list of parts which will arrive in Sikkim by this evening and it will take another few days for the machine to be fully operational,” assured the MS while speaking to NOW! today.
The MS however went on to add that there is another X-Ray machine at the hospital (the older manual one) which is catering to the patients at present, patients have complained that even this is often ‘out of order’.