No tenders called, but an agency gets nod to conduct thyroid tests

Patients at Mother and Child Hospital in Nalgonda are not being referred to the diagnostics centre over “doubtful equipment and inappropriate technique being used”.

Patients at Mother and Child Hospital in Nalgonda are not being referred to the diagnostics centre over “doubtful equipment and inappropriate technique being used”.  

Doctors at Mother and Child Hospital refuse to refer patients to Life Care Diagnostics & Thyroid Centre

If what the Medical Superintendent of District Hospital said is to be believed, District Collector Gaurav Uppal, also the chairman of Hospital Development Committee, has endorsed the allotment of thyroid profile tests to an agency without calling for tenders, at the behest of a local party leader.

“The Collector approved it after the TRS party in-charge Kancharla Bhupal Reddy recommended it,” Medical Superintendent T. Narsing Rao told The Hindu.

The circular issued by Mr. Rao on March 28, “in compliance to the endorsement of the District Collector”, shows permission accorded to one Life Care Diagnostics & Thyroid Centre, mentioning the diagnostic fee for thyroid test profile T3 and T4 at ₹125 and TSH at ₹90, with a validity of one year, or till the finalisation of tender process.

The services include screening of hypothyroidism in newborns, pregnant women and thyroid patients. However, last week, doctors at the hospital, particularly the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH), rejected the service, and have not referred patients for any tests till now, allegedly over “doubtful equipment and inappropriate technique being used”.

According to chief paediatrician Damera Yadaiah here, only heel prick or dry blood spot method should be used for newborns, but the said agency was drawing two cc (cubic centimetre) of blood, like in adults. “It’s dangerous, we will not issue referral letters,” the doctors protesting the allotment said. Others also alleged that the allottee agency lacked equipment and staff competence.

Responding to several queries, District Collector Gaurav Uppal, a doctor himself, said he was not aware of the allotment, and added that the procedures would be checked again.

Screening for thyroid in all newborns within the first five days helps treat congenital hypothyroidism, the thyroid hormone deficiency at birth, and when ignored it would go on to affect an individual’s intellectual and motor development.