PIMS Radiology Department becomes a success story
By SYED DANISH HUSSAIN November 24, 2009 ISLAMAAD - Radiology Department of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), is the first ever department in the twin cities hospitals that has the facility of Health Management Information System (HMIS), a computerised system meant for hospital operations.
Head of Radiology department, PIMS, Dr Shazia Farooqi said this in an exclusive interview with TheNation on Monday. She said that through this new computerised system by just entering ID of the patient in any computer of the hospital one could check the history of the patients. After Agha Khan Hospital in Karachi the Radiology department of PIMS adopted that state-of-the-art technology, she further said. Giving details, she said, “The department is equipped with 1.5 Tesla MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), 16 Slice MDCT, Doppler ultrasound machines and conventional x-ray machines.” To a query, she told that the MRI was used for diagnostic purposes in cases of head injuries, brain tumors and spinal cord problems. A patient has to pay at least Rs5,000 to Rs7,000 for the facility at private set-ups. Dr Shazia informed that the bulk of the work comprised of routine radiological examination of chest, abdomen, spine and extremities.
The procedures done under fluoroscopy control include barium investigations for the gastrointestinal tract, hysterosalpingograms for the female genital tract and a number of procedures for diagnostic and therapeutic intervention for hepatobiliary system, she added. She said that after assuming her office as head of PIMS Radiology department in 2005, she requested the federal government to release Rs200 million funds to equip this department with modern techniques. “Such huge sum of money has never been spent since the establishment of this department in 1986,” she added. She informed that tender for the purchase of new ultrasound machines has been flouted however owing to delay in release of funds for the purpose the department could not succeed in purchasing them.
“Yes, we have a long list of waiting patients as only one ultrasound machine is available to facilitate the 400 patients per day while another machine is partially working, however, I hope that this gigantic issue will be resolved near future.” However, she said that despite that fact the department took the emergency patient on priority basis but “for common patients we have a waiting list,” she added.
She said that the long awaited renovation of the Radiology department and addition of a new block in department took place after she took over the department besides provision of modern equipment like MDCT scanners for the department. Dr Shazia informed that besides imparting quality health facilities to patients, the Radiology department has also been running a post-graduate training programme. The department imparts training in both conventional radiology and modern imaging techniques of ultrasound, CT and MRI, she added. A well-planned teaching and training programme is being conducted so as to make the students fully competent to practice, teach and do research in various subspecialties of radiology, “till date 78 students have been trained in the department,” she informed.
To a question, she said that a lobby in the hospital having connection with the former Head of Radiology department PIMS, who was removed from his post when female staffers of the department leveled charges of sexual harassment against him, was busy in hatching conspiracies against her, as he (the former head) wanted to replace her against this post.