Hyderabad: Shortage of serology kits required for testing for HIV, Hepatitis B, C and others are not available at Osmania General Hospital for a month, leading to major inconvenience for patients. The microbiology department is writing in the casesheet of parents that these kits are not available and testing can’t be done. Patients have to go to private laboratories and get the test done.
A senior doctor at the microbiology department said that they had been constantly asking the superintendent about the kids. Reminders had been sent to the Telangana Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation but the supply has not been sufficient, he said. A 14-year-old was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS but his tests could not be carried at the OGH on Monday. Mr Mujtaba Askari, who is helping the patient, explained, “We insisted that we will not take the patient to a private laboratory and the tests must be done at OGH. Only after that a kit was arranged and the test done.”
A majority of the patients go to private laboratories, said a senior doctor. Another doctor said the the OGH had run through its quota of serology kids in the first two quarters due to the high load of patients. “The shortage is being felt this month as fewer kits were supplied and we are trying to maintain a stock for emergency patients.” Superintendent Dr G.V. Murthy was not available for comment.
