Shopian, Dec 3 : Patients in south Kashmir’s Shopian district face hardships as a crucial blood test is not being done at the District Hospital here.
The important test Venous Blood Gases ( VBGs) /Arterial Blood Gases ( ABGs) is not being done at the facility despite the fact that a high-end ABG analyser is lying inside the hospital’s haematology laboratory. “We are unable to do the test for want of the reagents–the chemicals used in the process of testing,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
He said that hospital administration had not procured the reagents, rendering the machine useless. The test is used to determine oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood besides evaluating the pH level. “The imbalances could indicate the medical conditions like kidney failure, heart failure or shock”, said a senior doctor. Medical Superintendent, Mohammad Ismail told Greater Kashmir that they had already placed the order for the reagents via GeM portal.