The trial of a computer tomography (CT) scan machine, a vital equipment used in diagnosing trauma-related cases, started at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) on Tuesday.

So far, the hospital was forced to refer trauma-related patients to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and private facilities for not having a CT scan machine and a few related diagnostic tools.

NMCH is located at the accident-prone junction of three highways connecting Barh, Gaya and Hajipur. Any trauma-related case that occurs on the three highways, first reach the NMCH. But doctors were forced to refer the cases to other hospitals. Many times the golden hour of saving a patient is lost in the process of shifting him/her to the other hospital.

The head of radiology department of NMCH, Umakant Singh, said: "The machine's trial has started. Initially, only two-three persons would be tested for free. Once the private firm gets approval from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to run the machine, it will start charging for the facility."

The machine will run on public-private partnership (PPP) mode. He said the facility will be available at a similar cost of what is charged at the PMCH. At PMCH, one has to pay something between Rs 900 and Rs 3,400 depending on the body part for which the test has to be done. At IGIMS, the test is available at somewhere between Rs 1,150 and Rs 4,100, whereas at private facilities, the same test costs between Rs 2,000 and Rs 8,000. At AIIMS-Patna, one needs to pay something between Rs 200 and Rs 500 to get the test done.

NMCH senior doctors, however, feel that only installing diagnostic tools will not be enough to deal with the flurry of cases that reach the NMCH everyday. "A super-speciality department, which treats trauma cases, is also needed. The hospital still doesn't have a neurosurgery department. In accident cases, head injuries are very common but how can the hospital treat such patients without neurosurgeons?" a senior doctor asked.