THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Chemical Examiner’s Laboratory (CEL) is set to seek government approval to establish an emergency toxicology wing in Thiruvananthapuram. If materialised, the initiative will enable faster testing and reporting in poisoning cases, significantly aiding hospitals in treatment.
According to sources, CEL officials have already prepared a proposal, which will soon be submitted for government approval. They said that the swift identification of toxins in a patient’s body is crucial for doctors to formulate effective treatment plans and save lives. At present, CEL has a toxicology wing, but it rarely conducts emergency sample tests.
Though CEL possesses advanced toxicology testing machines, procedural delays and manpower shortages have hindered its optimal utilisation. A working group study conducted by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department had earlier recommended setting up a 24-hour emergency toxicology wing. However, due to staffing and technical constraints, the current proposal does not seek approval for round-the-clock operations.
As per the study report, the toxicology wing had the highest backlog, with 36,000 pending cases. To address this, CEL authorities plan to allocate two of the eight newly appointed scientific officers to the emergency toxicology wing to prioritise urgent cases. While the study suggested creating 16 new scientific officer posts, the government only approved eight, with additional staff expected to be sourced through redeployment.
CEL sources believe that if the emergency toxicology wing is established, private hospitals will also seek its services. “Only a handful of private hospitals have the facilities to conduct advanced toxicology tests, which require specialised machines and trained personnel. CEL has both, but due to the lack of a dedicated emergency unit, we have been unable to provide quick results. This will change once the new wing is operational,” officials said.
Operating under the Home Department, CEL laboratories in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode are responsible for examining material objects submitted by courts and investigative agencies, with their reports serving as valid legal evidence. If the proposal is approved, the emergency toxicology wing will first be launched in Thiruvananthapuram as a pilot project. Based on its success, a decision will be made regarding the establishment of similar facilities in other CEL labs.