Despite a Rs 20 lakh facelift (that includes marble flooring), the hospital laboratory isn't reliable and patients are sent to private clinic for tests which they have to pay for Ten days ago, chief secretary JP Dange inaugurated the diagnostic laboratory at the state-run St George Hospital in Fort. The laboratory that was renovated to put an end to patients' woes, is ironically actually pinching their pockets.
Even after its launch, patients admitted to the hospital are asked to get their diagnostic tests done from a private laboratory. This, despite the fact that the hospital's renovated lab is equipped to perform nearly 60 varieties of tests.
Saint George's laboratory was vacant at 6 pm on August 26, although
it's meant to be a 24-hour lab. Pic/ Priyanka Vora
Just a cosmetic upgradation
Sunday MiD DAY has learnt that the laboratory was given a mere cosmetic upgradation; the number of technicians at work remains the same. "The state had sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the upgradation, and we have spent the entire amount in developing infrastructure that includes air conditioners and marble flooring," said Dr Chandrakant Gaikwad, medical superintendent at the hospital.
When asked about an improvement in facilities, he said, "There is no need to buy new equipment. We can
conduct all important tests here itself." Sources in the hospital claim that tests conducted at the in-house lab are far from reliable, and doctors often have to refer patients to laboratories outside.
Sunday MiD DAY took a look at reports of tests conducted at the in-house lab, and those conducted at
private labs, for the same patient. The discrepancies were glaring.
In one case, a patient suspected of malaria tested negative at St George, while a private laboratory confirmed that he was suffering from it.
Both tests were conducted on August 24 (test results are available with Sunday Mid DAY). A resident doctor claimed that such differences are normal. "At times, when the test results do not match the clinical symptoms, we send samples to a private laboratory. Most manual tests done here are dubious," he said.
However, a senior doctor pointed out the risks involved. A well-off patient might be able to get his tests done privately, but the underprivileged tend to depend on in-house lab results. In such cases, the doctor is forced to treat the patient on the basis of the hospital's test result. This could adversely affect the patient's treatment.
The big haemoglobin jump
In another case, the haemoglobin levels of a patient checked on the same day, differed. A private lab reported 13.6 units, while the hospital reported 10.6. What is more surprising is that a test conducted on the next day at the hospital's laboratory, once again, showed a haemoglobin reading of 14 units, which is nothing short of a medical miracle.
That isn't the end of the ordeal. Patients who are wheeled into the hospital during the wee hours are forced to conduct routine tests privately. "During emergency hours, there's only one technician at the laboratory. Even routine tests that can be performed at night, like liver function, HIV and Hepatitis, are sent outside," said another resident doctor.
Sometimes, staff from private laboratories even come to the hospital to collect test samples.
"My father was due for an operation when a staffer came for samples to conduct tests. We realised that he was from a private laboratory when we saw the bill," said Yogesh Daruwale, whose father is recuperating at the hospital. | 
