The delay in training of the staff and hospital administration's fear of cost escalation has resulted in deferment of starting the operation of ultramodern automatic blood analyser machine of Doon women hospital.The machine was installed by an American company in October this year but it is yet to be used by the hospital. Senior pathologist of Doon Women Hospital Dr Sunita Singh told The Pioneer that the new machine is called ‘five part Differential Cell counter’ and is one of the latest machines.
The machine would reduce the burden of the pathologists as it automatically and correctly displays the haemoglobin content, platelet count and reticulocyte count. She informed that the machine is capable of handling 160 samples per hour. The children admitted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) would be immensely benefitted by the new machine as the reports of pathology tests would be available without delay and with more accuracy.
The hospital sources revealed that the hospital authorities are wary to start operating the machine as the regents that are required for the machine are costly as compared to the chemicals and equipment needed for the manual analysing which the hospital pathologists are presently practicing.
It is learnt that the hospital authorities are calculating the increase in the expense and want to be sure that the operation of machine does not overshoot the budget of the hospital. The US based company has installed the machine at a cost of Rs14 lakh and would provide free necessary regents for the first month only.
Dr Singh however said that the machine would soon start operating as a training of two three days is needed for staff which the company would impart soon.