Bhubaneswar: A 42-year-old patient, who had come to AIIMS Bhubaneswar from Ranpur in Nayagarh district with a complaint of high fever, had to walk outside the hospital to get certain crucial tests done for diagnosis.




Similarly, another patient from Dhenkanal district had to pay for his tests done outside, despite being exempted from paying for treatment or diagnosis at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.




Patients like them have been having a harrowing time at AIIMS Bhubaneswar for the past three weeks, as they have been forced to visit laboratories outside the hospital because routine tests such as urine R/M, complete blood count (CBC) and TSH are not being performed at the premier tertiary-care institute. A staff member of the institution even alleged that an X-ray machine was also not working in the radiology department, blaming administrative delay for the situation.




The hospital authorities said on Friday that the tests were temporarily halted as consumables had been exhausted, and that they would resume soon. “The hospital is waiting for the delivery of test items it has ordered. We will resume the services after they arrive,” said Dr Prabhas Ranjan Tripathy , medical superintendent of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, also acknowledging that one X-ray machine of the radiology department was not working. “We will repair that and make it functional,” he said.




Meanwhile, the patients and their attendants continue to face difficulties.




The 42-year-old patient’s wife said doctors prescribed him six tests on Thursday, but only three were conducted at the hospital. “I did not have a vehicle to take my husband to private laboratories outside, so he had to walk in high fever. We got the CBC, thyroid test and another biochemistry test done outside. It is very painful for us,” said Anita Pradhan.




The patient from Dhenkanal district said he had to pay for the tests outside. “As I have a ration card, I am exempted from paying for treatment or diagnosis at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Why should I pay for tests outside due to an administrative issue at AIIMS,” the patient asked.




Another patient attendant from Ganjam district, Chitra Palai, said a urine test is a very basic and important test, but it is not being conducted at a hospital like AIIMS Bhubaneswar. “A patient has to go outside for this small test. I am surprised that the CBC test is not being done here, which is unfortunate,” said Palai.




The staff member of the institution said vitamin D and B12 tests were also not being conducted at the hospital. “Apart from the tests, an X-ray machine is also not working in the radiology department. Even staff members are going outside to get these tests done,” he said.




He added the hospital had not placed orders for reagents used in different diagnostic tests on time. “Due to the late placement of orders, reagents are not arriving on time. Files are pending with different officials. Administrative delay is the major reason behind this,” he said.




Repeated calls and messages to AIIMS Bhubaneswar executive director Dr Ashutosh Biswas went unanswered on Friday.