Bimala Devi Yadav of Janakpur, who was suffering from constant headaches, reached the Bharatpur-based BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital for a check-up on Thursday.

As advised by doctors in the hospital, she went to the hospital’s X-ray room to undergo CT scan of her head. Senior Technician Anil Pandit in the room, however, asked her to visit somewhere else saying that the CT scan machine had broken down. 

“I had come here hoping the charges would be cheaper, but now I cannot afford treatment in private hospitals,” Yadav said.

Even a week after the machine broke down, the authorities concerned are 

yet to repair it. “The imaging software has been corrupted and displays a blurred 

picture,” Pandit said. The hospital had been providing CT scan services to 26 patients per day.

While the hospital charges Rs 4,000 for the CT scan service, patients have to pay as much as Rs 15,000 in private hospitals.

However, it is not only the CT scan machine that has broken down, the health facility also lacks mammography machine which is used for diagnosing breast cancer. 

The mammography machine is kept at the store room of the hospital after it broke down three years ago, forcing patients who availed of the service for Rs Rs 700 to pay Rs 3,000 for the same at private hospitals.

According to hospital sources, doctors and technicians in the hospital, who themselves have established private health facilities in the area, are hesitant to repair the old machines and procure new ones for their personal gains.

Meanwhile, GN Mahato, administrative officer of the hospital, said they have called an engineer to repair the machines and that it may take a while before the service is resumed. 

Bhaktaman Shrestha, chairperson of the board of directors, and LN Singh, deputy director, however, have shown no concerns towards repairing or purchasing new machines for the hospital. The hospital provides services to 500 to 700 people from Nepal and India every day.