LAHORE, March 17: More than 1,000 blood samples of the patients for diagnosing hepatitis B and C have not been processed at the main laboratory of Jinnah Hospital for the last one month or so, it is learnt.

As Jinnah Hospital is the only teaching hospital in the Punjab capital with the PCR facility, the hepatitis patients are facing troubles in getting proper treatment owing to delay in reports by the hospital lab.

A source said the blood samples lying pending at the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) section of the main laboratory were to be analysed for hepatitis C virus (HCV) Qualitative, HCV Quantitative, hepatitis B virus (HBV) Qualitative, HBV Quantitative and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB).

Officials give various reasons for the administrative lapse like frequent shortage of accessories including filter tips, gloves, ethanol liquid, extraction kits and chemical.

However, a source claimed it was the result of discriminatory policy in attending paying and non-paying hepatitis patients as a major chunk of these pending blood samples was deposited by the poor people.

The source said according to the administrative arrangement, the PCR Section was processing blood samples of those people who were paying for the facility. “They issue reports to the paying patients within 15 days and others after two months,” he said.

“The PCR Section is charging Rs1,600 for HCV Qualitative test, Rs2,400 for HCV Quantitative, Rs1,400 for HBV Qualitative, Rs1,750 for HBV Quantitative and Rs1,200 for MTB PCR,” the source said.

Another major factor behind discriminatory attitude towards the poor patients was said to be the ‘controversial appointment’ of three officials who were hired on an ad hoc basis and were working there despite expiry of tenure of their services for the last one month or so.

The source said Sajjadullah, Muhammad Tajamul and Amina were employed on a daily-wages basis for 89 days at the PCR Section of the Jinnah Hospital. The hospital administration had forwarded a proposal to the Health Department for creating three technical posts -- a grade 17 and two grade 16 -- and these three daily-wagers were hired against these (proposed) posts.

As they were not re-employed in one of the most sensitive departments of the government teaching hospital, the administration could not hold them accountable for any grave mistake or negligence while analysing the vital diagnostic tests.

Similarly, the reports issued by these unauthorised officials had no validity to use for the official purpose.

Jinnah Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Afzal Shaheen said he would inquire into delay in conduct of PCR tests of the poor patients.

He dispelled the impression that an administrative policy was being followed to give priority to the paying patients for diagnostic tests. “It may be the internal arrangement of the lab officials but the hospital administration has nothing to do with late delivery of the reports to the non-paying patients of hepatitis,” Dr Afzal said.

He confirmed that Sajjadullah, Muhammad Tajamul and Amina were no more employees of the hospital and were working in private capacity without getting re-appointments.

He said as the administration had no alternate arrangements, these ‘officials’ were allowed to continue work till the creation of new technical posts at the PCR section of the laboratory.