Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 15
Guwahati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) was in for a major embarrassment after its COVID-19 laboratory allegedly misplaced a sample of a patient from Nagaland. The sample could not be found and a fresh one had to be taken two days later.
According to a close relative of the patient, the sample was taken on May 13 evening and they were told by the laboratory that the result should be out by May 14 morning.
However, the result did not come as expected. They went to the laboratory section to inquire where they were asked to meet the hospital superintendent, whom the patient's relative could meet only on the third attempt on May 14 evening.
"I was told by the Superintendent to go to the laboratory. There they took the patient's details again and assured to look into the matter," he said.
Around 10:00 am May 15, information came from the laboratory that the sample was misplaced, could not be located and a fresh sample had to be taken again.
As told by the laboratory, the patient's sample was retaken today around 1:30pm. Soon after the information from the laboratory, he took to Twitter about the incident while tagging the Assam Health Minister.
"We are expecting the result by 8:00pm tonight. Hopefully, it was not a case of discrimination," the relative told The Morung Express.
He said that the patient, in his 60s, has been in the GMCH's isolation ward since May 13 evening. He was originally referred to the Downtown hospital from Dimapur.
"The patient was diagnosed with stones in the bile duct. We reached Downtown on May 13 evening. As dictated by protocol, we were directed to the GMCH to get precautionary COVID test," the relative added.
The GMCH Superintendent did not respond to attempted phone calls till the filing of this report.
