Only one counter for billing, MLC registration and lab sample collection during night hours

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru’s State-run K.R. Hospital continues to grapple with patient service issues.

Days after overcrowding in its Emergency Ward drew criticism, patients and their attendants are now complaining of long delays in submitting blood and urine samples for laboratory tests.

According to relatives, the sample collection section functions at a sluggish pace during the day, while the situation becomes more difficult at night. After 9 pm, billing, outpatient slip issuance and Medico-Legal Case (MLC) registration are all handled at a single counter, resulting in long queues and prolonged waiting times.

Patients carrying blood sample tubes reportedly wait for hours before they can submit them for testing. At night, only one staff member is deployed at the sample collection counter, forcing 40 to 50 patients to queue up every day.

Even patients requiring urgent medical attention are made to wait two to three hours to complete billing formalities, collect receipts and send samples to the laboratory.

“The reports depend on how long the machines take to process the samples. Until then, patients remain anxious about their condition,” said a patient’s relative.

Blood clotting

Attendants further alleged that prolonged delays sometimes lead to blood clotting in sample tubes, affecting the accuracy of test results and necessitating fresh sample collection. “By the time the sample reaches the testing stage, the report may not be reliable and we are asked to provide another sample,” they told Star of Mysore.

During the day, the hospital operates 4-5 billing counters, multiple outpatient slip counters and separate consultation counters. However, at night, all these services are reportedly consolidated into a single counter.

Reduced night services

Questioning the arrangement, relatives pointed out that accident, assault, poisoning and suicide-related cases are more frequently reported during night hours and require prompt attention. They wondered why services are significantly reduced during the period when emergency cases are most common.

They have urged the authorities to keep at least three counters open between 10 pm and 6 am, with separate facilities for billing, MLC registration and laboratory sample collection.

They have also sought seating and drinking water facilities for those waiting in queues and demanded round-the-clock acceptance of emergency blood and urine samples. “Patients are going through an ordeal. The authorities must address the issue without delay,” they said.