Patients suffer as lone X-ray machine lies inoperative

The lone X-ray machine at Chest Disease Clinic in Mymensingh town has remained inoperative for more than 16 years.

A team of the Health Directorate from Dhaka had visited the clinic five years ago and said the X-ray machine was 'non-functional.'

Another team of the directorate declared the machine 'unusable' when it visited the centre two months ago. But no step has been taken to install a new one as yet, sources said.

The clinic is a referral centre for 'External Quality Assessment' to ensure quality test of 41 peripheral laboratories for TB treatment in Mymensingh, Sherpur, Gazipur and Manikganj.

X-ray examination is essential for treatment of TB patients. Because of the idle machine, the patients coming here have to get their tests done from private diagnostic centres, which is a burden for poor patients, said patients' relatives.

Each patient has to spend Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 for blood tests and X-ray, said rickshaw puller Fazlu Miah, also a TB patient.

As blood tests have to be done to detect TB, all related tests should be arranged at the clinic, demanded TB patients Lal Miah, Anwara Begum and Sharif Miah.

Dr Mir Anwar Hossain, junior consultant (in-charge) of the clinic, said it is beyond imagination that the centre is running without X-ray machine and arrangements for TB-related tests.

Patients also face other problems in the centre. Rain water leaks through the roof in nine rooms, and the only bathroom for patients is not in use, said sources.

Babul Chandra Das, pharmacist of the clinic, said it is difficult to store the medicines due to dilapidated condition of the building.