Lucknow: Path lab issues wrong dengue report, health dept cancels licence

Lucknow: Health department on Tuesday cancelled the registration of a private pathology in Keshavnagar for issuing false dengue positive reports.

The action came after a health department team conducted surprise inspection and found that though the reports given by the pathology mentioned that dengue test was done through ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay), no equipment used for the test was present in the lab.

The staff was also found to be unaware of how to use ELISA method for testing samples.

The four-member team headed by pathologist Dr Rajesh conducted inspection at around 5 pm after finding discrepancies in dengue positive reports issued by the pathology. “The anomalies in the reports were detected during an audit of patients who died due to dengue in the city. The pathology had issued dengue positive report to a 34-year-old woman who recently died due to high fever,” said Dr KP Tripathi, in charge of vector-borne disease control unit.

Chief medical officer Narendra Agarwal said, “An FIR will be lodged against the pathology for endangering public health as the centre may have issued fake reports to other patients as well. If a report is incorrect, it may lead to wrong treatment and death of a patient.”