Reference to private laboratories, prohibited

23 August 2011 08:03 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 28 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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The referring of patients to private sector laboratory tests by government hospitals has been prohibited by Maithripala Sirisena the Minister of Health, today with immediate effect.

The relevant circular will be issued in the next couple of days by the Director General of Health Dr. Ajith Mendis. He also said that the relevant circular will be issued in the next couple of days. (SAJ)

The Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena is seen at a laboratory at the Colombo National Hospital today.

Comments - 28

beau Tuesday, 23 August 2011 11:08 AM

This is just poltical posturing and has no substance. Private labs will continue to work as long as there is a demand from the public and that there are doctors who continue to practise privately, as usual for an exhorbitant fee. Sri Lankans in particular has a phobia about health, but most people don't take care of themselves and think a lab test will always cure their problems.

1 7

nawasdeen Tuesday, 23 August 2011 02:24 PM

this is kind of promoting private hospitals. This is simple logic> you can't get report from govt hospital as soon as possible and you can't show private hospital test to govt hospitals. So what you will do......you will go not only for test and also for treatment in the private hospitals. WOW what a great decision in favour of private hospital....
Nawas

1 12

NAIDE Tuesday, 23 August 2011 01:57 PM

DOCTOR TO PATIENT, " I WILL NOT PRESCRIBE THE TEST FROM A PRIVATE LAB BUT IT IS YOUR CHOICE "

1 11

AF Tuesday, 23 August 2011 01:48 PM

I am a specialist working in a District General Hospital close to Colombo. Some of the basic essential labtests are either not available or done with restrictions due to limited resources including manpower shortage.Therefore we are complled to ask patients to get certain tests done from out side labs. For an instance we have a quota of 2 CT scan per week from nearby teaching hospital for the ENTIRE hospital. As we are not faith healers(Like DR.WHITE) we need to depend on tests for management of our patients. Government should make an attempt to provide these tests at a competetive price if they cannot give them totally free.

1 13

perumal Tuesday, 23 August 2011 01:47 PM

Certainly! It is patriotic (according to that Chinthanaya) to die without a lab test rather than have it done at a private lab! Chinthanayata Jayawewa!!!

6 25

Dinesh Tuesday, 23 August 2011 12:54 PM

By looking at the comments, i felt so sad. Most have commented without knowing much details of the move and Most of the people think that government hospitals are not equipped enough. But it is not the reality.
Actually some equipment are only available in the governmental hospitals. I don't say that facilities in the government hospitals are perfect.
Most people doesn't know what good a service is offered by out hospitals. Most of the services are better than private hospitals.
Please observe and understand the reality and talk

7 0

TMA Tuesday, 23 August 2011 12:19 PM

Seems U really can't understand Ravi said

4 5

Raja Tuesday, 23 August 2011 12:19 PM

Minister looking for germs in picture ?

1 14

Raja Tuesday, 23 August 2011 12:12 PM

Then how to buy 'copters ?

6 25

Bandara Tuesday, 23 August 2011 12:13 PM

Then where to get the lab tests for the patients?We need at least one lab for each base hospital where the public can approach easily free or lesser charge.

0 7

Calistus Jayatilleke Tuesday, 23 August 2011 11:26 AM

It's a well-intentioned good move by the Minister. But, there are a few important things to be considered before implementing such a rule. For instance, are all government hospital laboratories equipped to undertake various types of lab tests? Do we have qualified lab technicians in all government hospitals? How could one improve their efficiency to match the levels of the private labs. If implemented in a hurry, the ultimate beneficiaries will be the private hospitals because patients would prefer to patronise the private hospitals and labs for more efficient treatment.

1 5

willowsw Tuesday, 23 August 2011 11:14 AM

if the logistics are provided then can do all the tests in no time???we have done it in other fields, such as defeating LTTE, and if the will is there then no problem???

9 0

Fair N Square Tuesday, 23 August 2011 11:08 AM

LOL did u read the article right? IF he is stopping reference to private hospitals, how is he helping em? not that I am a fan of him...

8 4

Dr. Mervyn Tuesday, 23 August 2011 11:09 AM

This statement will create Unnecessary conflicts between the patients and doctors if the necessary infrastructure is not in place.

1 10

Sam Tuesday, 23 August 2011 08:18 AM

How are people going to get their lab test done then? Most often the equipment at government hospitals are broken down or there is a long queue to get the tests - how is the minister going to solve that? Are the patients left to die?

9 73

Dr Fernando Tuesday, 23 August 2011 10:55 AM

So how the patients are going to get tests which are not available in gov hospitals?, besides some tests from mri will take more than one month to get results.i think its a bad move.

1 19

willowsw Tuesday, 23 August 2011 10:10 AM

It is a very good move, but their are lot of things to be corrected? for an instance malfunctioning equipment, adequate staff and other logistics etc, if not the patients will die????

2 11

Ravi Nanayakkara Tuesday, 23 August 2011 09:45 AM

Well done !!! Minister ...

You are promoting private hospitals it seems, Otherwise the poor patients has to die know with lab test from most efficient & effective government lab reports

Well done!!! Then close down the Govnt. Hospitals & This will be good business opportunity for the private sector hospitals.

3 23

mervyn silva Tuesday, 23 August 2011 09:36 AM

Mr. Minister. Have you checked if the government hospitals can handle all the Lab Tests? Have you checked if the necessary equipments available in all government hospitals? Pls do not just utter without checking the facts.
This shows how much you know about the Government Hospitals.

2 19

top tag Tuesday, 23 August 2011 09:36 AM

See the status of the lab in the picture , so how can people rely on this ???

2 20

Abdul Tuesday, 23 August 2011 09:38 AM

Government wants to kill more people by injecting diseased injections into people and they also don't have the sufficeient facilities to carry out tests. I feel the health minister is not aware of the current standard of such hospitals.

2 12

vijay Tuesday, 23 August 2011 09:31 AM

It's a good move. What should be prohibited is doctors making money out of those external lab tests. They normally want the patient to mention the ward no and suggest particular lab where test should be made. So it is non other than money making method for Doctors. And i don't think those tests been used by them as all important tests made in hospital itself. In an emergency or unavailability taking a test outside is accepted. It's good move if it's implemented correctly

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sarath Tuesday, 23 August 2011 09:23 AM

thanks to minister be attentive to furnish govt labs with sufficint facilities to take actions to provide medical proofs in analysing illnesses take actions to prevent mushrooming of private labs that exploit sick people that labs are poorly equipped

7 3

MLT Tuesday, 23 August 2011 09:07 AM

If you calculate the actual costs, it is cheaper for the government to send samples to private sector labs than to maintain hospital labs. The MLTs are the highest paid staff in a hospital. In addition to the monthly salary they charge for each test that is done as well as overtime. They earn about 3 times as much as the director of the hospital!

1 25

Narayan Tuesday, 23 August 2011 09:08 AM

He probably indirectly discourage people not to visit Government hospitals as things are not going to be in order.

2 17

azath Tuesday, 23 August 2011 08:50 AM

Uttering something which he does not know well, most of the hospitals are not well equipped and substandard.

7 45

Gayan Samarasekara Tuesday, 23 August 2011 08:34 AM

First equip the government hospitals with necessary infrastructure.

5 68

dharmatilake Tuesday, 23 August 2011 08:22 AM

good move but who is going to supervise if someone violates it.

16 34

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