Jharkhand's Pathology Testing Set for Major Upgrade: What Does This Mean for Patients?

Ranchi: Semi automatic pathology machines across Jharkhand’s hospitals will soon be replaced with fully automatic ones, officials of the state health department said.

Ajoy Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary of the department, has directed pathology testing equipment makers Meril to install fully automatic machines in all hospitals, including community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHC), across the state.

“In the first phase, these machines shall be installed in all medical colleges and district hospitals across the state. In the second phase, the initiative will be expanded to cover all CHCs and PHCs,”Singh said. Singh directed that the work of installation of these machines in all medical colleges and district hospitals shall be completed by June 15.

A key feature of these new machines is their capability to process 50 samples simultaneously. Furthermore, Meril will provide maintenance services for these machines for 10 years.

These new machines will enable the performance of nearly all pathology tests related to urine and blood. Test reports generated by the machines can be sent directly to patients' mobile phones via WhatsApp. In addition to upgrading the units and training the relevant personnel, Meril will also assume responsibility for software operation and machine maintenance.