NAGPUR: The patients visiting the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's Diagnostic Centre at Sadar are a hapless lot. The X-ray machine at the centre is defunct for a month. The centre offers X-ray facility to the economically weak patients for Rs60. Since the machine is non-functional, the patients are forced to pay Rs150-Rs200 to get an X-ray done at a private centre.

The NMC had procured the Siemens-make machine in 1985. The rotor, or tube, of the device developed a snag. The price of the spare is around Rs1 lakh but the civic body has not been able to get the machine repaired even though a complaint has been lodged by the hospital in-charge Dr Shilpa Jichkar with senior health officer Dr Savita Meshram. Hospital sources told TOI that the machine developed a snag on June 26 and since then no X-ray examination has been possible here.

Dr Jichkar said, "there was some technical snag in the machine." The stores department began the process to procure the spare. "As it was not available in the city, we approached the company's Chandigarh headquarters," said Dr Jichkar. "We have received the spare four days ago. The machine will start functioning within a couple of days," she said.

Sources said OPD centre caters to poor patients and at least 35 X-rays were being done daily. Most emergency cases were road accident victims who could not afford private hospitals. "Now, accident victims are either asked to get X-ray done at NMC's Mahal hospital or advised to go to Government Medical College and Hospital and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (Mayo)," said an official from the hospital.

Both Mayo and GMCH charge Rs75 for an X-ray, whereas the cost in private radiology centres is much higher. Mahesh Gupta (name changed), who fell from his motorcycle in Gittikhadan a few days back, was brought to the centre but sent back without an X-ray of his leg. He was only administered the first aid and was told that there was only a surface injury. When he got an X-ray done at a private centre, he discovered there was a hairline fracture.

NMC's Hospital committee chairperson Dr Safalta Ambatkar too expressed shock when she learnt about this. She blamed this on the apathy of the civic administration. The x-ray machines, costing between Rs1.50-lakh and Rs5.50-lakh, are often in need of repair. Exhaustive use of the x-ray machines and their handling by multiple users result in frequent shutdowns. The machines are often mishandled by inexperienced staffers, resulting in damage, said Dr Ambatkar.