Although under the Samajwadi Swasthya Yojna, ultra-sound tests were made freely available, the senior officials of the health department neither monitor nor ensure that the services are run without hassles.

The chief medical superintendent of the ladies hospital Dr. VD Bhaskar said "since the departure of the last doctor, he was in fact suspended in April, there has been no new appointments in the district hospital and here in the ladies hospital." Letters have been written to the state government through the district magistrate but so far there has been no progress. Patients have to be referred to Agra.

CMO Dr. Vivek Mishra said there was no doctor available for ultra-sound, though we have radiologist for xray. "We have written to the government in Lucknow but so far no one has come."

"The fact is that most of these government centres are not working and the doctors in charge have been referring the patients to private ultra-sound centres, to get their cuts," said Kunj Bihari Bhardwaj, a local activist.

The Mahirishi Dayanand Saraswati District Hospital, has ultra-sound machine but there is no doctor / radiologist or skilled hand available.

At the district Mahila Hospital also the centre is lying closed for over a year, though the machine and the radiologist are there. A competent doctor is yet to be appointed.

The 100-Bed Hospital, a dream project of the former chief minister Mayawati, the ultra-sound machine has not been taken out of the box and no one seems in a hurry to do so.

At all these three hospitals the doctors in their prescription ask the patients to go for an ultra sound test, but since facilities are not available, they have to go out to the private centres and get the ultra sound tests done, informed Rhais Qureshi, a member of the Braj Bachao Samiti.

"This helps the doctors make some hush money from commissions," alleges Vijay Kant Katara, a social activist of Mathura. The private centres charge upto ₹500.

"It is becoming fashionable these days to call for ultra-sound tests for routine health problems. Obviously someone is benefitting from this trend," adds a member of the Braj Bachao Samiti Uma Shankar. The rate of commission is around ₹200 per test, according to sources.

The maximum number of ultra-sound cases are those of pregnant women. "And since no one wants to take a risk these days, the family members go for tests at private centres," said Sudha Rajput, an activist.

Mathura district with a population of around 25 lakhs has more than 50 sonography and ultra sound centres. 

It may be recalled that the Akhilesh Yadav government on September 1 had announced its decision to allow free ultra sound tests at the government run hospitals.

"The state cabinet has taken a decision that the ultrasounds to will be done for free at government hospitals. We are also planning few machines that can work 24 hours," Akhilesh Yadav had said.

"The government has taken new decisions in the field of healthcare. We will provide free medicines to people. The pathological tests in the lab and the X-rays will also be free for people," he added.

(Photo: Jahid Sayyad)