Rawalpindi-The management of Radiology Department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) has dumped a precious X-Ray machine under open sky near medical store instead of installing it in the department to cater to the needs of hundreds of patients, informed official sources on Monday. Due to influx of patients and shortage of X-Ray machines in the hospital, scores of patients have to go outside in private laboratories for X-Ray against high rates or have to get much delayed dates from BBH management for the purpose, sources said.

The X-Ray machine had been provided to Radiology department in 2016 under Annual Development Scheme (ADP) value of which is said to be Rs 2.5 million, they said.  However, the management has thrown the machine away. The machine was covered with plastic sheets in order to keep it safe from water or sunshine but it is getting rusty and is getting damaged because of rain, sources said.

Sources claimed that scores of meetings have been convened in the department of Radiology regarding the fate of the X-Ray machine but all the times the matter was pushed under the carpet. On the other hand, the patients and their attendants also expressed their deep concerns over negligence of department of Radiology high ups for wasting national exchequer by throwing the machine outside and demanded the medical superintendent to take action against the responsible personnel.

“It is pathetic that the management of the hospital has been wasting public money in such a ruthless way. This machine has been purchased from national kitty and should be installed in the hospital to facilitate the patients,” said Ahmed Shabbir, an attendant of patient, while talking to The Nation.

He said the Medical Superintendent of hospital should take notice of the incident and should lift the machine from the site.

Amna Bibi, a patient, said she was advised to get a chest X-Ray and instead of conducting the X-Ray, the staff of the department asked her to come after seven days. She said the government should install machines in the departments to facilitate the poor patients.

Medical Superintendent (MS) BBH Dr Tariq Khan Niazi, however, when contacted, said he has assumed charge in November 2018 and the machine was dumped before his posting as MS. He said he had taken strict notice of keeping the X-Ray machine outside the building.

He said he had allocated a place besides building a wall to install the machine in Outdoor Patient Department (OPD). “I have also written a letter to the supplier of the machine to come to the hospital and install the machine,” he said. It would take one or two weeks to install the X-Ray machine, he added.