Rs 78 lakh heart-lung machine idle at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 18

A heart-lung machine, purchased for Rs78 lakh, is lying unused at the newly constructed super-specialty block of the Government Rajindra Hospital here for the past over two years.

The cardiopulmonary bypass machine was ordered in December 2018 and delivered to the hospital in July 2019.

A heart-lung machine is a device that takes over the function of the body’s heart and lungs during an open heart or traditional surgery. The machine circulates the essential oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other vital organs during a surgery, allowing the cardiac surgery team to operate on the vital organ. When the surgery is complete, the heart-lung machine is disconnected.

It has been learnt that the machine couldn’t be installed because there was no perfusionist with the hospital to run it. A perfusionist is a certified medical technician for the operation and maintenance of extracorporeal circulation equipment.

The private company, which had delivered the machine, also sent a couple of reminders to the hospital authority to install the machine. Though the government had already appointed a perfusionist, the candidate, reportedly, did not receive the appointment letter.

For want of the machine, cardiothoracic surgery is not being performed at the hospital for the past over two years.

When asked about the same, Dr Rajan Singla, Principal, Government Medical College, said, “I am not aware of this. I will enquire about it tomorrow.”