Jan 22, 2012 3:28 AM GMT
I was on a London Tube train the other day and saw the following article in the Evening Standard (excerpts):
"Health officials in London have approached a veterinary college to use its animal CT scanners on patients who are too fat for the equivalent hospital equipment.
The Royal Veterinary College said it had to refuse the request because it is not licensed to use its customised horse CT scanners on people.
It comes as hospitals face pressure to adapt beds and wards for the increasingly obese population in the capital.
Riaz Dharamshi, a geriatric registrar at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, claimed on his blog that he was told to refer obese patients to London ZOO when he was training.
He wrote: "Imagine the humiliation for the patient. 'I am sorry Sir, but you are too fat to have a CT scan, so we are going to have to send you to the ZOO where they are used to dealing with larger specimens.' "
At this point I just burst out laughing. Couldn't hold it.
"Health officials in London have approached a veterinary college to use its animal CT scanners on patients who are too fat for the equivalent hospital equipment.
The Royal Veterinary College said it had to refuse the request because it is not licensed to use its customised horse CT scanners on people.
It comes as hospitals face pressure to adapt beds and wards for the increasingly obese population in the capital.
Riaz Dharamshi, a geriatric registrar at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, claimed on his blog that he was told to refer obese patients to London ZOO when he was training.
He wrote: "Imagine the humiliation for the patient. 'I am sorry Sir, but you are too fat to have a CT scan, so we are going to have to send you to the ZOO where they are used to dealing with larger specimens.' "
At this point I just burst out laughing. Couldn't hold it.