CMCH's mammography machine dysfunctional for 3 and a half years

The only mammography machine at the Department of Radiology and Imaging of Chattogram Medical College (Chattogram Medical) Hospital has remained out of service for more than three and a half years.

The machine, worth Tk 16.6 million (Tk 1.66 crore), is essential for diagnosing breast cancer. Its prolonged breakdown has caused severe hardship for low-income and underprivileged patients.

While the test previously cost only Tk 400 to Tk 800 at the government hospital, patients are now forced to undergo the examination at private diagnostic centers, paying nearly four times more—around Tk 3,000 to Tk 4,000. Despite sending two urgent letters, the hospital authorities have received no response from either the supplier or the relevant ministry regarding repairs.

According to hospital sources, in 2016 the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) under the Directorate General of Health Services imported two mammography machines from Italy for Chattogram Medical College Hospital and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

The machine arrived at Chattogram Medical in March 2017 but remained boxed for nearly one and a half years. After repeated requests from the hospital, the supplier, Newtech GT Limited, finally installed it in August 2018. However, the machine developed repeated technical faults soon after becoming operational.

The machine first broke down in February 2019, just six months after it began operating on August 1, 2018. It was repaired in July 2020, but the fix lasted only about four months.

After breaking down again in November 2020, it underwent a third round of repairs in June 2021. It malfunctioned once more in February 2022 and was repaired for the fourth time in June that year. However, it stopped functioning completely on December 17, 2022. Since its commissioning in 2018, the machine has broken down four times.

Under the contract, the machine carried a three-year warranty. Hospital authorities claim that during the past eight years, it has remained operational for only about two years.

They argue that because the periods during which the machine remained non-functional should not count toward the warranty period, the supplier remains fully responsible for repairing and maintaining it.

However, Malaya Kumar Mohanta, Chairman of Newtech GT Limited, rejected the claim, saying the warranty has already expired. "Even after the warranty expired, we repaired the machine several times on our own initiative," he said.

He further claimed that inadequate maintenance inside the hospital and physical damage were responsible for the repeated breakdowns. He suggested that the issue be referred to the National Electro-Medical Equipment Maintenance Workshop under the Ministry of Health for a long-term solution.

Hospital sources said that since 2017, Chattogram Medical has sent 25 letters to the Director of CMSD regarding the repeatedly malfunctioning machine. In the latest letter, sent in October 2024, Hospital Director Brigadier General Mohammad Taslim Uddin wrote that the machine had remained out of service since December 17, 2022, severely disrupting patient care.

He urged CMSD to take immediate steps to repair the hospital's only mammography machine in the interest of patients.

Dr. Kazi Mohammad Alam, Head of the Department of Radiology and Imaging at Chattogram Medical, said he had never seen the machine operational since assuming his post.

"Representatives from the supplier have visited twice to inspect the machine, but they did not carry out any repairs. If the machine were functional, patients could receive the service at a minimal cost. Instead, they are now compelled to undergo the test at private facilities at much higher expense," he said.

Hospital authorities said they are making a final effort to have the existing machine repaired while simultaneously seeking approval from the Ministry of Health to procure a new mammography machine. The proposal is currently under discussion.