Chennai :

The Madras Medical College got an x-ray machine in 1900, five years after it was invented. Twenty years later, the Bernard Institute of Radiology at MMC got a separate building. Today it offers at least 1,000 images on MRIs, CTS and digital x-rays, hospital dean Dr V Kanakasabai said.

The hospital subsidizes the cost of imaging so that CT scans cost 350-500, while MRI scans cost 2,500. “Some of these images cost at least 15,000 in private hospitals. Here they are offered free for mentally ill and unconscious accident victims,” Kanakasabai said on Monday during the 79th Institute Day celebrations.

The institute was named after Captain Bernard, who got 8 lakh sanctioned for a separate building for the department in 1928. Eight years later, the institute was equipped to offer diploma courses for doctors and paramedics in radiology. Even today, a postgraduate degree (MD) in radiology at MMC is one of the most sought after. “It’s one of the most popular courses. We offer four postgraduate seats. Every year, we see a tough fight among students for this course. Students pay nearly 2.5 crore to do this course in private colleges and universities,” he said. In 2012, it started post-graduate diploma courses radio diagnosis and another in radiotherapy. This year, BSc Radio Diagnosis and BSc Radiotherapy have been introduced.

The interventional radiology wing, an arm of the department, does vascular grafting and coil embolism for poor under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. The department also offers up to 170 radiotherapy procedures everyday to cancer patients. “Six lakh patients a year are treated at the department,” said director Vanitha.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / April 03rd, 2013