Despite claims of 57 free tests at JNIMS ; No blood test facility at JNIMS!
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 19 2018:
Despite tall claims by the State Government that more than 57 free tests are provided at JNIMS under the Free Services Initiative of the Central Government, the most basic of all tests, blood test, is still missing at the biggest State run hospital in Manipur.
According to a reliable source, on July 1 last year, the State Government launched a specialised scheme under Free Services Initiative under which 57 free tests were announced at JNIMS.
The announcement of such a scheme to enable free testing proved to be a boon for many of the poor and underprivileged people of the State.
The source informed that under the said scheme, many tests, including X-Ray and ECG, were provided free of cost to the people.
Due to the availability of such free test, it is now often the norm to see long queues of people and patients in front of the Lab Investigation counters at JNIMS.
However, in an unfortunate turn of events, there is no facility for availing free blood tests like Complete Haemorgram for finding out blood groups, despite the tall claims made by the Government regarding the free tests, the source added.
The source continued that many of the people waiting in queues also complain about the absence of many other 'free' tests at JNIMS.
This often forces the patients and their family members to search for other private clinics for the necessary teste thus wasting precious money and time.
On the other hand, some of the patients' parties present at JNIMS condemned the lack of many basic tests at the biggest State run hospital in Manipur and added that they are often given excuses that the tests are not available due to lack of reagents and other such things.
The people also alleged that the whole process reeks of a clandestine collaboration with private clinics to earn money and stated that it is the duty of the State Government to look into the matter while there is still time.
They also appealed to JNIMS authority to take up necessary measures to address the immense inconveniences faced by the people.
Large number of people come to JNIMS on any given day.
The OPD ticket counters are all flocked with a large number of people all the time.
There are even cases where people fail to get tickets due to the never ending queues and end up not getting any treatment at the OPD.
As such, it is also necessary for the authority concerned to increase the number of ticket counters in the hospital, the source added.
The source informed that a blood test (for finding out the blood group) at a private clinic cost around Rs 150 while a complete haemogram tests cost Rs 450.Over and above this, there are many other expensive tests conducted at the private clinics, the source added mentioning that tests done at JNIMS are often not satisfactory for the doctors.
Thus it is also necessary for the State Government to look into the matter and do the needful for improving the equipment and the technologies at JNIMS as well, the source added.
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