Diagnostic lab's proposal to offer tests cheap pending in Tirupati

Tirupati: The TTD employees and Tirupati residents are spending more money on diagnostic tests as proposal to set up an integrated clinical lab facility was not materialised.

On an average every day, more than 10,000 TTD employees are visiting the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) for various lab tests while city residents and poor people from all over the district are visiting Ruia Hospital for medical tests.

As the city has only few diagnostic laboratories apart from SVIMS, Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD) and Ruia, people have to wait for long time to get medical test reports. There are allegations that the SVIMS and BIRRD are charging more for medical tests like X-ray, blood test, CT and MRI scan. Lab tests are being performed at SVIMS and BIRRD for patients only on request of duty doctors.

Some advanced medical test facilities are not available in private diagnostic labs too. It has become financial burden for TTD employees and common people to undergo medical tests in government and private labs.

A year ago, the then TTD JEO Pola Bhaskar had proposed for setting up an integrated clinical lab facility on the premises of the SVIMS and BIRRD Hospital. He spoke to few national-level clinical laboratory companies for setting up clinical lab facility here to offer medical tests for affordable rates.

But the proposal was not materialised with JEO's transfer. The TTD authorities kept the proposal in pending citing technical reasons. TTD employees' associations are demanding that the TTD Trust Board to set up an integrated clinical laboratory here at the earliest.

Speaking to The Hans India, TTD Staff and Workers United Front president M Nagarjuna mentioned that establishment of an integrated lab facility is essential for TTD employees and people of the district. He urged new TTD JEO P Basanth Kumar to materialise the pending proposal.