DBS testing at Nalgonda put on back-burner

Nalgonda: In a surprising instance, the dry blood spot test facility in Mother and Child Hospital has been non-finctional since its launch in 2018, after irregularities were exposed in awarding the contract to a private laboratory. None seemed to take interest in restarting the facility which would immensely benefit the newborns in the hospital. Incidentally, […]

Nalgonda: In a surprising instance, the dry blood spot test facility in Mother and Child Hospital has been non-finctional since its launch in 2018, after irregularities were exposed in awarding the contract to a private laboratory. None seemed to take interest in restarting the facility which would immensely benefit the newborns in the hospital. Incidentally, officials too turn Nelson’s eye to the issue despite their repeated visits to the hospital ahead of the proposed inspection by the Health Minister T Harish Rao on June 4.

In 2018, controversy broke out in the hospital in award of the work to a private laboratory without calling for tenders. To end to the row, the then district Collector Gaurav Uppal cancelled the contract given to the private laboratory on April 12, 2018. The main reason for contract cancellation was that the private laboratory didn’t have equipment to conduct the dry blood spot test. Almost 20 deliveries take place everyday in this hospital and the test needs to be done all newborns.

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The Dry blood spot screening is to be conducted on newborn babies between 48 and 72 hours of the birth by taking a blood sample to check whether the baby has one of the nine serious health conditions including phenylketonuria, hypothyroidism and cystic fibrosis. After repeated request by the doctors of the hospital, the government had issued orders in 2018 permitting newborn dry blood spot tests to the children born in Mother and Child Hospital, for hypothyroidism.

A senior pediatrician, who did not wish to be identified said hypothyroidism would not show symptoms at early stage, and if undetected, would have impact on intellectual development of the child. Hospital staff expected that the district authorities would award the contract for conduct of the test to an eligible and equipped laboratory after cancelling the earlier one. But, their hope remained unfulfilled even after three years.

Now, Telangana Diagnostic Centre setup in the hospital can also perform the newborn dry blood spot test. But, a skilled person is required to collect blood samples from newborn babies in the hospital. As such there is no need to give the contract to a private lab, doctors say. People hope that the health minister would take interest in the issue and ensure stes to resume the conduct of tests in the hospital.