Patients in Bathinda are already accessing a wide range of diagnostic services at the newly built Integrated Public Health Laboratory (IPHL) at Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Civil Hospital, which became operational about a week ago and is conducting nearly 4,000 tests daily, an official of the facility said on Friday.
The facility that has been established under the Prime Minister’s Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission along with financial contribution from the Punjab government is awaiting formal inauguration.
The state-of-the-art, three-storey facility conducts nearly 150 types of diagnostic tests under one roof, of which more than 50 are available free of cost. The remaining tests are offered at nominal charges, allowing patients to access a broad spectrum of investigations at the civil hospital without having to seek diagnostic services elsewhere.
Dr Shikha, IPHL in-charge, said, “The facility is functioning round the clock in two shifts and has 19 technicians. Patients undergoing treatment at private hospitals and clinics can also avail diagnostic services at the civil hospital after paying a registration fee of ₹10. The laboratory can process blood and other samples round the clock, with up to 100 samples analysed in a single cycle.”
“The test reports are currently issued within about three hours and the facility will soon start sending reports to patients in PDF format on their mobile phones. The test reports will also be shared directly with the concerned clinicians at the civil hospital to facilitate quicker coordination in treatment. Patients admitted to different wards no longer need to visit the laboratory for investigations, as samples are collected within the wards,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}“The test reports are currently issued within about three hours and the facility will soon start sending reports to patients in PDF format on their mobile phones. The test reports will also be shared directly with the concerned clinicians at the civil hospital to facilitate quicker coordination in treatment. Patients admitted to different wards no longer need to visit the laboratory for investigations, as samples are collected within the wards,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Arun Bansal, senior medical officer of the district hospital, said, “The availability of specialised tests and laboratory services on the same premises will spare patients the time, effort and expense involved in travelling between facilities for different investigations.”
According to Dr Shikha, the laboratory is equipped with artificial intelligence-powered machines that alert pathologists when a sample or test result does not meet the required standards and indicate possible reasons for a failed result. This enables the team to take corrective measures in real time.
The facility provides diagnostic services in microbiology, haematology, clinical biochemistry, clinical pathology, molecular biology and allied disciplines.
Dr Ritika Gupta, another pathologist at the facility, said, “Bathinda was the only civil hospital in Punjab to have a hormone-analysis machine, which can be particularly useful for pregnant women, elderly people and other patients requiring such investigations. The laboratory also conducts FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) and Pap smear tests for cancer diagnosis, besides advanced investigations such as cardiac markers, iron studies, and hormone and vitamin analysis.”
Around 40 dope tests are conducted everyday at the facility for people seeking arms licences and in cases where testing is mandated by the police department to examine drug abuse, Dr Gupta said.