Patna: Till April this year, ultrasound test facility was available in seven government hospitals under the civil surgeon's office in Patna but now the facility is available in only New Gardiner Road Hospital.

The situation is similar in other districts because in April a 10-year contract with private agency IGEMS ended with the State Health Society. IGEMS ran the X-ray and ultrasound test facilities at the government health facilities.

The department didn't extend the contract with the private agency nor has it been able to make alternative arrangements to start the facility again.

Though civil surgeons have been asked to make arrangements to provide the service at their level by hiring private agencies on a temporary basis, they, too, have failed in it.

The health department had earlier claimed that under the new system it would start the ultrasound and X-ray tests in-house. The Patna civil surgeon office confirmed only one out of seven government hospitals has the ultrasound facility at present.

"Ultrasound tests were available in eight hospitals in the district that come under the domain of the civil surgeon office, including sub-divisional hospitals at Barh, Paliganj, Danapur and Masaurhi, apart from Guru Gobind Singh Hospital in Patna City, New Gardiner Road Hospital near Income Tax roundabout and Phulwarisharif-based primary health centre."

"The test stopped at all the hospitals after the State Health Society signed a 10-year contract with IGEMS in 2008. It ended this month. Patients are facing a lot of problem, especially pregnant women who are advised to undergo the test during their ante-natal check-up," said a source in the health department.

The test was, however, available in medical colleges and hospitals such as Patna Medical College and Hospital, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences and Nalanda Medical College and Hospital.

Phoolwa Devi, 26, who turned up for her ante-natal check up at Patna City's Guru Gobind Singh Hospital on Thursday, was inconvenienced for not being able to get the ultrasound test done at the hospital.

"The staff told me that the facility had been stopped four months back. A doctor here advised me to undergo an ultrasound test. Now, I will have to visit a private facility to get the test done. Why does the government claim to provide free diagnostic services in its hospitals when it cannot provide basic healthcare?" said Phoolwa.

Rubina Khatun, who had come for an ultrasound test at Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, too, made a wary face on finding a shut test centre.

Araria district programme manager Rehan Ashraf confirmed that ultrasound test has been stopped at the sadar hospital apart from the referral hospital at Raniganj and sub-divisional hospital at Forbesganj, where IGEMS was providing services earlier.

"We have not been able to make any alternative arrangement because there are a lot of issues. To start the service, registration under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act is required, apart from radiologists. Starting ultrasound in minimum time is not feasible," he said.

Some district health authorities, however, said they have been able to start ultrasound test at a few health facilities but not in all the centres.

Vaishali civil surgeon Indra Dev Ranjan said ultrasound test has been started with the help of a private agency at sadar hospital but the referral hospital at Lalganj the test has stopped after the contract ended with the IGEMS.

Gopalganj DPM Arvind Kumar said ultrasound test was being done at the district hospital with the help of Rogi Kalyan Samiti of the hospital, while the primary health centres, where the IGEMS was conducting the tests, were still bereft of the facility.

A senior health official said the state has expedited the process of starting ultrasound facility in-house and for this the Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Limited (BMSICL) has started procuring ultrasound machines.

"We have decided to start the in-house test at the first referral units wherein we have registered radiologists, as the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act states that ultrasound test can be started only at those centres which have qualified doctor. We will start in-house tests within six weeks," he said.