Mangaluru: Due to supply chain disruptions caused by the crisis in West Asia, Wenlock District Hospital is likely to face a potential shortage of helium, which may impact its MRI services in the near future.The issue was brought to the notice of health minister UT Khader during a review meeting held at the hospital on Saturday.Officials informed that the MRI facility at the hospital is operated by a private company. The available helium stock is sufficient for about a week. Consequently, MRI scans are currently being performed only for emergency cases.According to an official at the centre, the MRI machine installed in 2017 requires a liquid helium refill every three months, whereas models installed after 2019 only need to be refilled once every two years. If the existing helium stock is exhausted, the company will have to spend about Rs 70 lakh to restart the MRI machine after helium refilling. Liquid helium is essential for cooling the superconducting magnets used in MRI scanners. Global shortages and rising costs of helium are increasingly affecting MRI services, the official said.The minister directed officials to hold talks with KMC Hospital to allow patients referred from Wenlock hospital under the AB-ArK scheme to undergo MRI scans without any additional charges. The cost of an MRI scan at Wenlock hospital is around Rs 2,500.Ban on junk food inside hospitals, schoolsKhader said the govt will soon issue an order banning the sale of junk food in hospitals and educational institutions as part of its efforts to promote healthy eating. “Most diseases begin with the consumption of unsafe food. The Food Safety Act is a powerful tool to regulate junk food,” he said .To strengthen enforcement, the minister said the govt will modernise the existing food testing laboratory in Bengaluru, to build stronger evidence against violators. “We are finalising the modalities for the new rules, and a meeting of senior officials has already been held. I urge supermarkets, food outlets and manufacturers to ensure the safety and quality of the products they sell,” he said.Amendment to transfer counsellingKhader said the govt will amend the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Medical Officers and Other Staff) Act, 2011, to improve staffing in govt hospitals. He said the proposed amendment will make it easier for doctors and healthcare staff to opt for transfers from urban to rural areas, without being hindered by the existing counselling process. “The current rules do not facilitate voluntary transfers from cities to villages, even though many community health centres face acute staff shortages. The amendments will help rationalise staff deployment and strengthen healthcare services in rural areas,” he said.
