Rats damage crores-worth X-Ray machine at Tanda Medical College; Diagnostic services hit for 8 days
Babushahi Bureau
Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), November 4, 2026: Patients visiting Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (Tanda Medical College) in Himachal Pradesh have been facing inconvenience after a high-value X-ray machine remained out of service for eight days following reported damage to its main cable by rats.
The breakdown of the machine, reportedly installed at a cost of crores of rupees, has disrupted diagnostic services at the medical institution, forcing patients to depend on an alternative machine with limited capacity.
The incident has raised questions about the maintenance and protection of expensive medical equipment at the government-run hospital.
Following the breakdown, the hospital arranged a smaller X-ray machine to continue diagnostic services. However, the alternative arrangement has reportedly proved inadequate to handle the daily patient load, resulting in long queues and extended waiting periods.
Patients, including those travelling from distant areas of Himachal Pradesh, have been facing difficulties in getting their X-rays done. Delays in diagnostic tests can also affect the subsequent stages of medical consultation and treatment.
Questions Over Maintenance and Pest Control
The reported damage to the main cable has also brought the hospital’s equipment maintenance and pest-control arrangements under scrutiny.
Questions have been raised about how rats gained access to the equipment area, whether adequate protective measures were in place for electrical cables, and whether regular inspections and pest-control measures were being carried out.
The incident has highlighted the importance of proper maintenance and protection of costly medical equipment, beyond its procurement and installation.
With the machine remaining non-functional for eight days, patients are awaiting the restoration of normal diagnostic services. Clarity is also needed on the repair timeline and the measures being taken to prevent similar incidents.
The immediate challenge for the hospital is to strengthen alternative arrangements to manage the patient rush while ensuring that the main X-ray machine is repaired and restored at the earliest.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the need for effective maintenance, infrastructure protection and accountability in public healthcare institutions, where equipment breakdowns can directly affect patient services.