Aam Aadmi Clinics getting tests done at CHCs, govt hospitals

Ludhiana: Even as the private firm engaged by the Punjab government for diagnostic services has stopped rendering its services in Aam Aadmi clinics of the state, health officials assured that testing process continued at such clinics. They said that the department had made arrangements for sending specialised tests to community health centres (CHC) and sub-divisional hospitals.
Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr Hatinder Kaur said that they had got mapping of centres done and samples for advanced tests from Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) were being sent to urban community health centres (UCHC) and the district hospital. She added that in rural Aam Aadmi Clinics, samples were being sent to sub-divisional hospitals.
Health department officials said that samples of 37 Aam Aadmi Clinics in Ludhiana were being sent to the civil hospital while samples of one Aam Aadmi Clinic each in Jagraon, Raikot and Khanna were being sent to the respective sub-divisional hospitals. They added that in most AACs, basic tests like blood sugar, haemoglobin were done at the clinic itself. In some clinics, even CBC, HCV and VRDL tests were done.
A health officer working in a rural area said that they had a clinical assistant or laboratory technician deputed in centres. The clinical assistant collected samples and sent these to the sub-divisional hospital. He added that around 52 tests, including CBC, RFT, LFT, etc were done at the hospital and the results came on the second day after samples were sent from AACs.
During a visit to the Aam Aadmi Clinic in Model Town, staff said that seven to eight samples were sent to the advanced centre for testing every day.