NBMCH lab integration

TT, Siliguri, June 3: The central laboratory of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri will soon function in an integrated manner so that samples are collected from patients only once and test reports are handed over to them together.

A medical college official has said even though the laboratories of pathology, biochemistry and microbiology departments are centrally located, tests are not carried out in an integrated manner.

"The central laboratory has pathology, biochemistry and microbiology laboratories together. But samples like blood and tissues are collected from patients and test reports are given to them separately. This has created a problem for patients as samples are collected from them at different times for each laboratory. Likewise, test reports are also provided by the labs to the patients on different days," said Kalyan Khan, an associate professor in the pathology department.

Doctors of the three departments have decided to overcome the problem by operating all the labs in an integrated manner.

"We have taken a decision to integrate the functioning of the three labs so that samples are collected from the patients together. It was also decided that reports from all the three labs would be given on a single day and from a single counter. We have decided to conduct the tests quickly so that reports are provided to patients within few days of the samples being taken. In this way, doctors will be able to provide the patients with timely treatment for their diseases," said Khan.

Khan said the plan was to launch the integrated system by June 15 after imparting training to lab technicians.

"We cannot start this system right away because the technicians and medical staff need to be trained first. We will start the training on Monday. The integrated system, as per our plan, will start on June 15," Khan said.