More than 100 people queue up daily at the laboratory in the Civil Hospital located in the Millennium City for free medical tests but they are unaware of the terribly unhygienic conditions.
(Photo: Getty Images)
More than 100 people queue up daily at the laboratory in the
Civil Hospital located near the bus-stand in the Millennium City for free
medical tests but they are unaware of the terribly unhygienic conditions in
which these tests are conducted.
At the lab,The Statesman spotted used syringes and open
bottles of urine samples lying next to unused syringes. Patients names were
missing in the samples.On being asked about the open bottles of urine, an
attendant said: “We have conducted the tests and these are of no use now.” The
government hospital conducts around 50 medical tests free of cost. These
include blood test, urine test, HIV, pregnancy test, malaria test, ECG, blood
sugar and cholesterol test. There are long queues every day for these tests.
Santosh,a 36-year-old woman, who had come for a blood test, said she works at
people’s homes and tries to save money for her children’s education.
“If I had gone to a private lab they might have charged more
than Rs.500. I earn very little and I can’t afford a huge amount,” said
Santosh. A man and his mother were squatting on the floor of the hospital. He
had brought her for a blood sugar test. He said: “I have come from Kherki Daula
village. My mother was admitted here yesterday.Today,a blood sugar test was to
be conducted on her but the attendant said the machine is nonoperational.Now,I
am waiting for the doctor to ask him what to do.” One of the nurses said the
government had instructed them to conduct tests but there was no proper
infrastructure.
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“We have to cut a sorry figure whereas it is the duty of the
government to send necessary equipment and machinery for these tests,” she
added.
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