Sambalpur: Four Months Have Passed Since Medical Students’ Protest, Yet Vimsar Still Lacks an MRI Machine
The machine was supposed to arrive last year, but no progress has been made in this regard: Authorities
Sambalpur: Burla Vimsar is only receiving promises in the name of an MRI machine. Days keep passing. Despite repeated demands and protests, Vimsar has yet to receive its own MRI machine. As a result, patient care is being affected. Patients are frustrated because they have to rely on private MRI machines. During their protest four months ago, the United Medical Students Association demanded that Vimsar be provided with an MRI machine. Promises were made then. Even though four months have passed since the protest, no action has been taken, which has led to talks of resuming the protests.
Burla Vimsar is the lifeline of healthcare in western Odisha, where complex to extremely complex diseases are treated. However, the lack of an MRI machine has resulted in dissatisfaction among patients who encounter difficulties. Nearly two years ago, the state government intended to purchase its own machine after taking over from HLL. However, until its own machine arrives, the medical center has made arrangements for patients to receive MRIs at a nearby private clinic. As a result, even critical patients must travel from Vimsar to this clinic for MRIs. Patients have complained about being significantly inconvenienced there. According to allegations, the clinic prioritizes its own patients first before examining Vimsar patients.
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Given these concerns, the United Medical Students Association has demanded a dedicated MRI machine for Vimsar to improve patient care. Previously, the medical authorities promised that their own machine would arrive by April 2023. As June 2024 draws to a close, there is still no word on when the machine will arrive. During the student protest in March, the DMET promised to provide VIMSAR with an MRI machine. However, questions have arisen as to why the authorities are delaying this. The protest is expected to re-ignite due to the lack of action in four months.
Now, all eyes are on how the state’s new government will handle this situation. Patients from western Odisha, including the new health minister’s home district of Balangir, are being referred to Vimsar for MRI scans. Patients, on the other hand, face significant inconvenience because there is no MRI machine available. As a result, there are calls from various quarters for the new health minister to take action to provide a dedicated MRI machine at Vimsar for the benefit of patients.
