Pvt lab tests youth ‘dengue positive’, counts platelets 21000; PGI confirms ‘healthy’, platelets normal at two lakh

Director Health assures action on written complaint

JAMMU: Barely three days after a patient got the shock of his life as the pathologists at the premier Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), Jammu erroneously measured his platelet count at 18,000- only to be relieved with the result of a private laboratory which verified the count at 2 lakh; another youth found his platelet count at 21,000 only to be corrected later in cross-checking- the only difference this time remaining the culprit laboratory being a famed private clinic in city and not GMC&H.
It was nightmarish for 26-year-old Ashwani Kumar of Trikuta Nagar who ventured into a private laboratory following mere anxiety but to his surprise pathologists working there counted his platelets at 21,000- seriously low than the normal range of 1.5 lakh-4 lakh figure, besides labeling him as 'dengue positive'; however similar to the earlier case of Janu Bali, on cross checking with another laboratory, Ashwani was found on healthier side, his platelet coming out to be in the normal range of 2 lakh.
The incident has- many of such having taken place in GMC&H laboratory, now even put the private clinics under the scanner.
Recalling his horrid experience, Kumar said that on October 15, he consulted a doctor at a private clinic in Trikuta Nagar area after he developed symptoms like anxiety. "After thorough investigation, the doctor prescribed me some blood tests at a private lab. I went there accordingly and after a day, when I got my blood report, I was literally astounded to see that my platelet count had fallen to 21,000," Ashwani said. Alarmed and anxious about his well being, his parents took him to PGI Chandigarh the very next day where doctors pacified his parents saying, "There is no symptom like dengue in your child. Even his platelet count is well within normal range at 2 lakh."
"Later, one of my cousins took me to GMC&H Jammu where doctors re-confirmed that my platelet count was 2 lakh," Ashwani said, "I was left perplexed over the varying reports within a day."
He said later when he took up this matter with the owner of the private lab; he passed the buck on to a Delhi pathologist from where this laboratory gets confirmation of blood reports.
Director Health Jammu, Dr Gurjeet Singh, when contacted, said, "If something of sort has happened, let me assure you that the private clinic will be sealed tomorrow on condition of a written complaint from the victim."