Poor seeking MRI appointment at govt. hospitals wait for days on end

VIPs like the Chief Minister get a battery of tests done in a matter of hours at corporate hospitals, thanks to their social stature and ability to afford medicare

Last Friday, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao underwent a series of ‘routine’ diagnostic tests, including coronary angiogram, MRI of brain and spine, ECG and 2D echo, at a corporate hospital. All of this was done within a few hours, and the CM discharged from day care the same afternoon.

For the common people, however, getting the tests done on the same day is a far-fetched dream. Even getting an appointment date for the tests post doctor’s consultation takes several days.

Now, take the case of V. Balaji, a 31-year-old farmer from Narayankhed, who had to wait for six days for his turn to undergo MRI scanning appointment at the government-run Osmania General Hospital (OGH). When the day of appointment finally came, he reached the hospital on an empty stomach around 9 a.m. However, he had to wait till late afternoon as emergency cases had to be cleared before him.

“I reached Hyderabad the previous night, stayed at a friend’s place and reached the hospital in the morning,” he said.

This is not an isolated case. Many other patients from poor backgrounds opting for major government hospitals in the State also face an excruciatingly long wait — a few days to a week — to undergo tests.

Given the exorbitant charges at corporate hospitals or private diagnostic centres, the poor rely on State-run facilities for medicare. For instance, MRI of brain or spine at private health facilities costs anywhere between ₹7,000 and ₹10,000. For coronary angiogram, one has to shell out ₹10,000-15,000.

Such financial considerations are not there at government tertiary care hospitals, and hence, preferred by people from poor backgrounds. However, accessing the services there is fraught with inordinate delays.