KANPUR: Patients were availing the benefit of free medical tests at Dufferin & Ursula Horsman Memorial hospitals in the city. Two different pathology centers were making available all those various types of tests free of cost to the patients. As there was a government’s contract with the private laboratory which was done three years ago, the patients did not realize the load of costs usually faced by them.
With the expiry of its due date on March 31 this year, the patients were now obliged to pay for whatever medical tests prescribed by the doctors. The renewal could not be initiated due to the code of conduct during the elections. But they weep blood in anguish at present condition.
However, Dr. V B Singh, chief superintendent, said the state government had entered into a contract with a private lab under the Uttar Pradesh Health System Strengthening Project three years ago. The free facility stopped after the validity of the contract ended on March 31, 2019. With the promulgation of the Code of conduct, a further extension could not materialize.
According to the reports, one pathology center was providing as many as 131 kinds of tests while the second pathology provided 200 types of tests to the patients at the Ursula hospital. These centers had even run its collection center. Female patients got the facility of testing hormones profile, thyroid screening, urine culture, biopsy, Pap smear, sugar test HBA 1 and cancer mark and several others. All the required tests were free of cost which had no longer been available to them.
Pointing at the modern machines at pathology in Ursula, Dr. S C Verma, in-charge, Ursula Pathology, said a proposal for a test kit for hormonal and sugar tests has been sent to the state government.
