Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 28: What to say of major tests, even the basic renal testing facility is not available in Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, for the last five days, forcing the patients to go to private labs.
According to official sources, in last over five days hundreds of patients who needed to undergo the usual blood tests which check the certain dissolved salts like Sodium and Potassium in the blood, were bound to go to private labs, as the stocks of testing kits in the laboratory of Medical College has gone dry.
Sources said that these renal tests are most commonly performed tests and are done as a part of general health assessment and in case of dehydration, which is usual in summer season. They said as the summer season is in full swing, a large number of people with complaint of dehydration are daily visiting the hospital but in the absence of testing kits, the concerned technicians have no other option except sending them to private labs for the said tests.
“When this premier health institution is in such a condition what will be the condition of other hospitals, particularly in far flung areas of the State”, sources further said and added that this is sheer negligence on the part of the hospital administration, which should ensure proper stock of the required testing kits in the hospital.
When contacted, Medical Superintendent, GMCH Jammu, Dr Ravinder Ratanpal, admitted that the stocks of the testing kits for Sodium and Potassium tests have gone dry due to which patients needing to undergo these tests were being sent to private labs.
“Though we had already placed the order for these testing kits, we did not receive them due to which the situation arises”, he said, adding that right now they have received these testing kits and from tomorrow all these tests will be conducted in the hospital laboratory.
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