Lal Ded maternity hospital ill-equipped for LFT, protein test

Srinagar, Jan 02: Much to the dismay of hundreds of patients, Lal Ded Hospital here doesn’t have resources to do liver functioning or protein tests.
The patients have to get the tests done at the private laboratories.
The hospital does not have facilities to conduct Liver Functioning Test recommended to the outpatients, while protein test is also not done at the hospital.
“I have come here from Budgam, but I was disappointed on being asked to conduct the LFT test from private diagnostic centre at unaffordable rates,” said Rukhsana.
Nazima Hilal, 30, whose sister is under treatment in the hospital, said she had to go to a private lab with her sister’s blood samples.
“They charged a lot of money for protein test, but the doctors had said it was compulsory. So, I got it done,” she said.
“This is the most important test, which is often suggested by the doctors. They should have, at least, this facility in the hospital. We are facing difficulties, as we have to run to the private clinics to get our tests done.”
Senior official at the hospital said they were not supposed to do protein test in the hospital.
They said they do not enough reagents for LFT of the outpatients as well.
“If administration allows us, we are capable of doing these tests. There are no enough reagents available for these tests, especially protein test,” a senior official said.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Nazir Malik, said the hospital does not have the resources.
“We don’t have LFT facility here for the outpatients, because it is not possible for us to conduct hundreds of these tests,” he said.
“For protein tests on 24-hour urine we have a less number of patients, which is why we are not conducting it here.”
He said that around 600 patients visit hospital daily.
“We can’t do all their tests here,” he said.