iRADiX

Buyer’s Guide: How to buy a good Ultrasound Scanner.

After spending a decade in medical college and acquiring the much sought after degree of M.D. Radio-Diagnosis a young radiologist has two options:

1. Go and join some Job.
2. Start his own Clinic.

First option is relatively easy one and one does not have to worry about finances and other problems like getting the patients and buying Machines.

Second option is difficult preposition, as one has to face the problem of arranging the finances and buying the equipments which can be a tiring phase during the initial months.

It is that period when you finally decided to open a centre for yourself and started looking for Machine after arranging a site for your clinic. You send a signal and the representative of various companies start a bee line to you. They give you so many options, that you get confused. Every one will speak a language which you will find either Greek or Latin. This is not you have studied in your degree. There are so many confusing terms developed by individual companies to confuse customer. Like cross beam technology, Matrix probes or Aplipre, Advance Dynamic Flow, Quick view & Iassist etc.

The companies will send representatives they will speak a lot but will not give you some thing like “Factsheet” or “DATASHEET” in writing. Most of their commitment will be verbal only and the sales person will show his personal commitment to fulfill promises.

One should be very careful in dealing with companies and do not rely upon verbal assurances. One thing you will notice that all the brochure will have more of pictures and less about the machine. The Datasheet is a fact sheet every company should provide with brochure.

I tell you my recent harrowing experiences related with buying ultrasound machine for myself. So many companies visited me and showed their equipments, the machines I liked were out of my budget preview.

Then Toshiba people offered me Xario Machine claiming that this machine is a Demonstration unit and about 1.5 years old and they offered me this machine with four new probes viz. Convex, Linear, Endovaginal and Cardiac Probe. With complete package having Aplipure, Trapiziod scan, Tissue harmonic Package, Panoramic View, 3-D Imaging and Broad beam former etc. with 2kVA Online UPS (Tata Libert) with Sony Digital Thermal Printer and 2 years of Warranty for 12 lac of price. Though I wanted a new machine but this configuration was good bargain.

I went for it though their competitors warned me that the Xario has only a few installation bases due to its fragile equipment and Poor service network. I ignored their warning as I thought Toshiba is a good company and I was given 2 years of warranty. I gave my nod to buy the machine on 30^th Jan 2010 with an advance of 1.5 lac. I also asked some genuine questions like

1. What is the actual age of the machine?
2. Is it a true demo machine or a refurbished old machine?
3. Will the parts and service be available for 10 years?
4. What will be the machine up time guarantee?
5. What is complaint redressal system?
6. Will you provide me a stand by machine in case of break down more than 24 hours?

They sought some time answer and to install the machine within 2-3 weeks time. But the company defaulted this time saying that some parts were missing from the machine and being imported. They were mum and not coming clear on it and only verbal assurances were given. They did not show me the age proof.

Then they insisted that I should remove penalty clause in my purchase order which was “ in case of break down of more that 24 hours, the company will provide me a comparable standby unit and if the company fails to provide support the company shall pay me Rs 10000/- per day as compensation and the warranty shall extend accordingly”. I told them this clause will be applicable only when the company defaults, if you are assuring me a good after sales service then what is need to panic about the clause. But they insisted that I should remove the clause, perhaps in their inner mind they knew that they could not come clean on this. I deleted the clause keeping my fingers crossed.

Finally they installed the machine but the machine was not working properly as it needed two more probes as in order, Thermal printer and some parts to be replaced. They sent their engineers to rectify it and the machine collapsed all together. It refuses to even start. They told me that it needed to be moved to Delhi for repairs, I agreed and asked for a standby machine, which they flatly refused.

I was shocked that the company is dragging its feet from their written commitments, especially when the full payment is not yet made. I had my worst fears coming true before me. I again requested but they refused saying that we do not have any stand by units; I asked them “This is my new centre and I can not keep it shut for the days you will take for repair.” They didn’t seem to bother about it, and finally I had to cancel my order.

Than I had to search for another machine in emergency and place a new order. And finally installed ALOKA SSD4000 for Rs 14 Lac for 4 probes and one UPS.

Friends I have written this blog to aware our Radiologists to the tricks of the companies and evolving a transparent system to help ourselves.

I have already written about the need of Grading System about the comparison and features of the Machines and their cost effectiveness. I wish IRADIX could do something about it. I can shoulder the responsibility entrusted on me.