Bhabha’s pathology laboratory has no HoD

Despite being one of the 16 major periphery hospitals in the city, K.B. Bhabha Municipal General Hospital in Bandra continues to operate its blood bank and pathology laboratory without a head of department. Moreover, due to the severely short-staffed pathology department, patients have to travel all the way to Cooper Municipal Hospital to get a pathological opinion.

A RTI query by an independent pathologist about functioning of the hospital’s pathology laboratory has revealed that there is an active pathology department and the laboratory is attached to seven departments including out patients ward, blood bank, histopathology, haematology, serology and biochemistry. However, there is no head of department even though the department functions from 8 am to 4 pm every day and remains open 24x7 for emergency testing. A visiting lecturer is available at the laboratory from 9 am to 4 pm but it is the resident doctors who oversee operations. The RTI query further revealed that the hospital had not employed a single qualified pathologist. “The most inconvenient issue for patients is travelling all the way to Cooper Hospital for pathological opinion. Responding to my query, the hospital authorities confirmed that they send patients to Cooper Hospital, located at Vile Parle, which has a dedicated pathologist,” said the RTI activist. He added that the patients often visit private pathological laboratories located in the vicinity of the hospital to get reports and tests, which costs them dearly. Furthermore, the functioning blood bank of the hospital, which is also supposed to work under the head of the pathology department, is being run by a single blood transfusion officer, with one laboratory assistant, technician and nurse with no replacements for any of them.

As Dr Mahendra Wadiwal, chief medical superintendent of Periphery Hospitals, MCGM, said he would not be able to comment on the matter as he was out of station. Dr P. Jadhav, medical superintendent of the hospital confirmed that the patients were indeed sent to Cooper Hospital for pathological opinion. “We don’t have a HOD for the laboratory but we do have a lecturer who is a senior medical officer and MD pathology. However, due to absence of a bonded medical officer, we have to send patients to Cooper Hospital,” he said.