Putting an end to the longing and suffering of the people in the coastal area, a new advanced laboratory has started functioning at the Community Health Centre (CHC) here.
The lab is equipped with all the facilities present at the Public Health Lab and provides services at a reasonable or cheaper cost. Before the setting up of the new lab, the residents had to either depend on private laboratories or travel a long distance to carry out of most of the tests.
Biochemistry, serology, urinalysis, RST, LST, and lipid profile tests can be done in the new lab. A Haematology analyzer and a Semi-auto analyzer used for biochemistry purposes, RST, LST and lipid profile tests are also available. Currently, there are two technicians in the lab. In the last health adalat conducted here, Health Minister V S Sivakumar had announced that one more employee would be appointed at the lab by NRHM (National Rural Health Mission).
“Most of the tests are done charging Rs 10-20. Yet, we had a collection of Rs 850 on the first day itself. More than 800 OP cases are attended to at the hospital on some days and there is an average of 600 OPs per day. Before the lab was set up, we used to conduct only routine blood tests here,” said Jesilet Bai P S, public relations officer of Vizhinjam CHC.
The lab has been constructed at an expense of Rs 6 lakh, of which Rs 4 lakh came from Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the Rs 2 lakh from Venganoor panchayat.
The Hospital Management Committee is in charge of the evaluation and the monitoring of the functions of the health centre. An appraisal meeting will be conducted every six months and decisions, including the number of employees, will be taken depending on the statistics of patients coming there.
“It’s very helpful that we have a laboratory in our locality now, especially for the children. Earlier, we used to take them to Thiruvananthapuram or Balaramapuram for proper diagnosis,” said Latha P, a school teacher from Vizhinjam.
A list showing the charges of the tests are exhibited outside the laboratory. It is a great help for the local people that common tests like those for Dengue, Leptospirosis and Malaria are also carried out here.
“For me, the sole income is from my pension. It was very expensive for me to go to private labs and check for diabetes. But now, as the charges are limited, I can depend on this new lab for my tests,” said 72-year-old K Sulaiman.