Quality of kits bought for pathologies questioned

Newly elected president of the UP Lab Technicians Association (UPLTA) Suresh Rawat has questioned the quality of the kits being purchased for pathologies.

“Decision for kits and chemical purchases is taken by nonclinical staff which is a risk as they do not have knowledge about these items,” said Rawat, who was elected on Sunday. He said poor quality of kits or chemicals would affect accuracy of patients’ test reports .

General secretary of the association BB Singh said that the even the PPP model of pathologies needed a re look as tests under this model were conducted by staff from private companies and no one knew about their qualifications.

The office-bearers said that work under the PPP model should be screened, specially the rates of chemicals and kits quoted. “Though people get facility for free, if the government has to pay a higher price quoted by the company, it should be checked,” said Singh.

The office-bearers pointed out that appointments in blood banks should also be checked as there were instances when a non-clinical person headed the blood bank due to staff crunch.

The association’s spokesperson Sunil Kumar said that lab technicians in government hospitals were under tremendous pressure as several posts were vacant.

The office-bearers demanded that the vacancies posts should be filled and wages revised. They demanded that the name ‘lab technicians’ should be changed to ‘medical lab technologist’.