Apparent nexus; Hospital admn assures strict action
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Jan 31: Despite having fully operational investigation labs at the Government Medical College (GMC), Baramulla, selected doctors are allegedly getting a portion of patients’ samples processed in private labs functioning in the area.
The irony is that representatives of the private labs are seen sitting in some sections of the OPDs of the hospital where they collect samples from patients advised to undergo tests. The samples, in a total violation of norms, are then processed in their respective private labs.
“Once the patients are asked to undergo tests, the representatives of the private labs operating in the area are seen sitting there, collecting the samples; instead of receiving a report from the hospital, the private labs handle the process,” said an attendant of the patient.
He informed that he, along with his patient, visited a doctor attending to patients in the B-3 section of the OPD on Thursday.
The doctor, he said, advised carrying out a number of tests for the patient, including KFT, LFT, Lipid Profile, and several others.
“The samples were collected right there by a person who was a representative of a private lab; the report which the lab gave me also has the name of the doctor on it as ‘referred by,'” he said.
It is noteworthy that GMC, Baramulla, has well-equipped labs that are running seamlessly and performing tests at a nominal cost with accuracy.
However, the selected doctors engaging in such malpractice, especially within the hospital premises, are not only burdening the patients, but it also raises questions about the alertness of the hospital authorities and the professional conduct of the doctors involved.
When the matter was brought to the notice of the concerned Medical Superintendent, Dr. Parvaiz Masoodi, stated that such a violation on the part of the doctors would not be tolerated at any cost.
“The complainants should approach us, and we will ensure necessary action; we will not allow burdening the patients, especially when we have fully operational labs at the hospital,” he said.
On the other hand, the hospital is also facing the issue of non-availability of senior doctors during late hours, leaving patients reaching the hospital from far-off areas to fend for themselves.
“Patients usually find themselves at the mercy of junior doctors during late hours while senior doctors remain absent,” the residents complained.
Regarding this issue, Principal GMC, Baramulla, Dr. Ruby Reshi, told Excelsior that, as per the guidelines, consultants in their respective departments remain available on-call to ensure effective patient care.
“Whenever the need arises, the consultants remain available, apart from other doctors for seamless patient care,” she said.
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