Thiruvananthapuram: The medical college hospital authorities have denied the reports that the tests at the hospital laboratories have been disrupted. The hospital superintendent said all essential tests are being conducted on a daily basis.The superintendent said ELISA tests for Hepatitis B and C are being conducted regularly. According to the laboratory register, an average of 51 tests each for Hepatitis B and C were conducted daily up to Saturday. Required testing kits are being supplied through Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL).The hospital is also conducting fever-related diagnostic tests without interruption using kits supplied through departmental project funds and KMSCL. The fever panel includes Dengue NS1 and IgM ELISA, Leptospira IgM, Scrub Typhus IgM, Brucella IgM and Hepatitis B and C ELISA tests. Culture and sensitivity tests are also being conducted using available facilities, the superintendent said.He also denied reports that there is a shortage of reagents which is affecting the tests in the biochemistry department. If any reagent is likely to run out, replacement kits are procured through the hospital development society (HDS) in advance, ensuring that investigations are not disrupted.Free tests are being provided to AAY cardholders, prison inmates, patients without bystanders and unidentified patients. If any test is temporarily unavailable at the central biochemistry laboratory, patients can undergo the test at the HDS laboratory functioning within the hospital premises at reduced rates.The superintendent said patients were not being referred to private laboratories due to non-availability of reagents, as the required tests are available through the HDS and ACR laboratories functioning within the hospital complex.Measures are being taken through KMSCL and departmental projects to address any temporary shortage of testing kits. The hospital administration is also monitoring availability continuously to ensure that essential investigations are not interrupted.The laboratory register itself provides evidence that tests are being conducted regularly, the superintendent said, urging people to refrain from spreading misleading claims about disruption of laboratory services.
