Resolve manpower issues, make CT scan available all day in Bukit Mertajam Hospital

A senator has urged the Health Ministry to resolve the manpower shortage in Bukit Mertajam Hospital so that computed tomography (CT) scanning can be provided to patients 24 hours a day.

“The manpower problem must be resolved soon to help the waiting patients,” Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran said, reported FMT.

“CT scan services are only available from 8am to 5pm because of the lack of specialists, medical officers and radiographers.

“(The machine’s arrival) is a real relief for the people here as they had to travel long distances to other hospitals before this. Inpatients had to be transported by ambulances.

“However, (the hospital) should provide round-the-clock service to ease the backlog,” he explained.

He said this in response to the announcement made by the Penang Health Department that announced the first phase in training to use CT scans at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital.

The department said that CT scan services began on Aug 19.

However due to shortage of staff and consumables, the services is currently limited to office hours, from 8am to 5pm.

Lingeshwaran who was formerly Sungai Bakap hospital director had raised alarm over shortage of nurses and health equipment in Penang during the Dewan Negara session March.

He pointed out while there were four public hospitals on mainland Penang, CT scan machine was only available at the Seberang Jaya Hospital.

“The situation is exacerbated when this machine is out of order. When this happens, patients have to be sent to the hospitals in Kulim or on Penang island.

“I was made to understand that about 9,000 patients at the Bukit Mertajam and Sungai Bakap hospitals require this service annually,” said the DAP senator.