BY Buddhika Samaraweera The College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) has stated that it is suspicious that a company supplying reagents had provided reagents to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo, just a few hours before an investigation took place by Ministry of Health Deputy Director General (DDG) of Laboratory Services, regarding the non-conduct of a number of medical tests at the NHSL due to the lack of reagents. Speaking to The Morning, CMLS President Ravi Kumudesh claimed: “A few hours before the DDG of Laboratory Services of the Ministry came to investigate about the non-conduct of medical tests at the NHSL, a company had provided reagents to the Hospital. Reagents sufficient for about one week have been given, thereby resuming the relevant medical tests before the investigation.” He also stated that however, the relevant investigation report has made no mention about the said incident, and that it is problematic as to how the reagents were supplied within a few hours, when the NHSL was unable to acquire sufficient reagents for several months. He further claimed that it is suspicious as to whether the mastermind behind the reagent shortage is someone from the DDG’s office, as it is apparent that there is a connection between the relevant investigation and the provision of reagents. The CMLS claimed last week that due to the shortage of reagents, the performance of many biochemical tests at the NHSL have either come to an end, or been limited, but the top officials of the NHSL are not working to remedy this situation, as they have connections with the private laboratories around the hospital, and receive various benefits from them. Kumudesh further said at the time that many tests were not being carried out at the NHSL or the performance of such had been limited as there was a lack of reagents. In such a situation, he said that patients who are coming to the NHSL were being referred to private laboratories that were in close vicinity to the NHSL, in order to undergo the relevant tests. “However, no one is trying to remedy the situation, as there are direct connections of the NHSL top officials with certain laboratories. Since referring patients to private laboratories to undergo tests is done as a racket and many parties benefit from it, the relevant officials are neglecting to resume these tests at the NHSL. Even the NHSL Director is acting as if he doesn’t know about this, and the Ministry has not been informed of the lack of reagents properly,” he claimed. According to him, the relevant tests included: Alanine transaminase, Aspartate aminotransferase, High density lipoprotein, Alkaline phosphatase, Thyroid stimulating hormone, Bilirubin, Creatinine, Cholesterol, Magnesium, Calcium and Amylase tests; while only two or three of these tests were performed at the NHSL by that time. The Morning reported recently that given the prevailing shortage of pharmaceutical drugs and medical equipment, a number of surgeries and medical examinations carried out at the NHSL have been affected, while there is also a significant shortage of antibiotics given to patients. Sources within the Hospital told that the number of computerised tomography scans, oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy tests, cardiothoracic surgeries, and laparoscopy surgeries performed at the NHSL has greatly reduced due certain technical faults of the machines and equipment used for the procedures.