Patients wait for days to get blood test report at government hospital in Andhra's Kakinada

At a time when a high number of cases of fever are being recorded in the district, blood test for determining dengue is being delayed in the Kakinada Government General Hospital.
File Image for Representational Purposes.
File Image for Representational Purposes.

KAKINADA: At a time when a high number of cases of fever are being recorded in the district, a blood test for determining dengue is being delayed in the Kakinada Government General Hospital. It is taking three days for the laboratory at the hospital to deliver a medical report to patients though it should not take more than five-six hours in normal times to get a clear picture on platelet count.

Because of the inordinate delay in getting test reports, patients are forced to stay in the hospital for an extended period while waiting anxiously for confirmation whether they have dengue. The blood tests are being conducted at the Central Laboratory, which is under the control of Rangaraya Medical College (RMC).

The hospital has more than 20 wings like TB and chest, paediatric, gynaecology, urology, ENT and out-patient. The doctors prescribe blood tests to patients to determine whether they are suffering from dengue or other fever. All the blood samples are sent to either Central Laboratory or Dhirubhai Laboratory. Sadly, no alternative arrangements are made at the RMC to speed up medical tests at a time when viral fevers are at their peak.

The analyser machine has the capacity to test 100 to 150 samples a day, but the technicians are flooded with around 250 blood samples. Apart from its low capacity, the laboratory is plagued by a shortage of technicians.

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The New Indian Express
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