Attikon: Both CT Scanners Out of Service

A report on the simultaneous shutdown of both CT scanners at the University General Hospital “Attikon” in Chaidari has brought the issue before Parliament. The hospital’s employees’ union, “Anagenissi,” highlighted that both machines went out of service during the same period, while the company responsible for technical support has not committed to a restoration timeline. Attikon Hospital serves the entire western Attica region.

The CT scanner is a vital diagnostic tool in emergency departments, particularly for traumatic brain injuries, stroke cases, and severely injured patients requiring multi-trauma assessment. The simultaneous failure of both machines means the hospital has no alternative imaging solution within its facilities. According to the report, no specific repair schedule has been provided, making the duration of the problem uncertain.

MPs from the SYRIZA-PS party submitted a question to the Health Minister, initiated by the parliamentary group’s president, Rena Dourou. The question seeks clarification on who bears ultimate responsibility for the hospital’s readiness and what measures the ministry intends to take to ensure patient safety and uninterrupted emergency operations. No response from the ministry has been recorded to date.

Attikon Hospital operates in Chaidari and is one of the largest hospitals in Attica, with university clinics and a major emergency department. Its geographic location makes it a referral hospital for municipalities on the western side of the Attica basin, an area with industrial facilities and major road networks, where trauma emergency cases frequently require immediate imaging diagnosis to determine proper treatment.

In practice, while the malfunction persists, patients requiring CT scans may need to be transferred to other hospitals in the basin, which entails delays and added burden on other medical units. For residents of municipalities around Chaidari, this is not merely theoretical: it directly affects the time from admission to diagnosis, which in certain cases can be decisive.

The exact date when the machines were taken out of service and the nature of the damage in each case remain unknown. Additionally, the content of the technical support contract has not been made public, nor whether it provides for contractual response times. Available information comes from the union’s report and the parliamentary question, while an announcement from the hospital’s administration has not been recorded.

The question will be submitted to the Health Ministry, which has a deadline to respond according to parliamentary procedure. The critical question remains when the functionality of at least one CT scanner will be restored. The employees’ union made the issue public, while the matter is expected to resurface if the malfunction extends into August’s peak emergency period.