Jammu, September 12:
Even after years, patients have to face a lot of problems due to the presence of only one MRI in the government medical colleges and hospitals of Jammu. In GMC Jammu, they have to wait for several weeks for the test.
Private diagnostic centres remain an option for them. But now after MRI is approved for GMC Kathua, other colleges are also expected to start this diagnostic facility.
There are currently five government medical colleges in Jammu division. But only the Government Medical College Jammu has MRI facility. Although there are two machines here, one machine is now out of order. This machine is two and a half decades old. On the other hand, this facility is not available anywhere in the newly opened GMC Rajouri, Kathua, Udhampur and Doda.
The cost of 1.5 Tesla MRI machine is 17 to 18 crore rupees. While the cost of 3 Tesla MRI is between twenty to 22 crore rupees. There has been a long standing demand to start this facility in new medical colleges. MRI is used to diagnose many types of diseases including problems of bones and joints, spinal problems, bone infections. That is why patients have to come to GMC Jammu only.
The fee for getting an MRI test done in GMC Jammu is only Rs. 2500 but if the same test is done in private diagnostic centres, one has to pay Rs. 6000 to Rs. 10000. There is only one MRI machine in government medical colleges in Jammu but private centres have at least five machines and most of the patients go to private centres for getting the test done.
