Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Monday donated a 32 Slice Computed Tomography (CT) scan machine costing around Rs 1.76 crore to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institute (SABVMC&RI) in Bengaluru on Monday as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. HAL is an aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bengaluru. It is managed by the Ministry of Defence.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between HAL and the hospital which is under the Karnataka state government. On behalf of HAL, Venkateswara Rao was present and on behalf of the medical institute, its dean Dr Manoj Kumar was present. According to R Madhavan, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, “Such a medical aid is the need of the hour and will be useful in diagnosing the patients including those suffering from COVID-19.”
Rajender Kumar Kataria, Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Horticulture and Sericulture, said that HAL’s contribution is a noble gesture that will improve the quality of medical services imparted by the hospital.
A computerized tomography scan (CT or CAT scan) uses computers and rotating X-ray machines to create cross-sectional images of the body. These images provide more detailed information than normal X-ray images. They can show the soft tissues, blood vessels, and bones in various parts of the body. In addition to RT-PCR testing, some experts argue that CT scans can diagnose COVID-19 by scanning the chest.
This comes at a time Karnataka is facing a surge of COVID cases. In the biggest single-day spike since the pandemic began, India has recorded over 1 lakh COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 1,03,558 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday. Karnataka reported 5279 cases on Monday alone including 3728 cases in Bengaluru.