Chennai Corporation to launch free blood testing facilities

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on August 8, 2010:

CHENNAI :With a view to making most of its health schemes accessible to all kinds of people, Chennai Corporation is all set to launch free blood and urine testing facilities at its 72 dispensaries situated across the city from next month.

According to sources, the proposed facilities using semi-auto analyzer were necessitated after majority of the patients reaching its dispensaries failed to complete the prescribed testing with private labs due to varied charges.

Chennai Corporation has already placed the orders for the installation of modern machines for blood and urine tests costing each more than Rs 50,000 with the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Ltd (TNMSC) and the agency would be supplying it this month, sources said.

As of now in Chennai Corporation, such testing facility for general public is available at the civic body’s six diagnostic centres alone, that too with a minimum charges.

With the launch of testing facility at its 72 dispensaries, civic body would be able to cater to the needs of people living across its 10 zones totally free.

The proposed facility is capable of processing blood tests of more than 100 persons every day. Results of the tests would also be handed over to patients the same day. At the dispensary, blood and urine testing could be done for checking malaria, TB, cholesterol and many other ailments.

According to health department officials, the launch would also help the Chennai Corporation to profile different types of ailments prevailing in the city and to evolve a better area-wise health strategy in future.

Besides, the civic body also planned to install digital X-Ray machines at its six diagnostic centres in another three months.