Kerala medical labs cry foul over TV sting

Thiruvananthapuram, March 5 (IANS) The media is being used as a tool by MNC giants who are entering the medical laboratories market, it was alleged Tuesday following a sting operation by a TV channel in Kerala.

Some people of a TV channel mixed the blood of a dog and a hen and gave it to three small and medium laboratories under the guise of human blood for routine blood tests. The results showed positive for cholesterol and diabetes.

The TV channel questioned the efficiency of the laboratories.

"We strongly feel that the media is being used as a tool by giant multinational companies who are entering the medical laboratories market,"

said Sudeep Kumar, joint secretary of the Laboratory Owners Association pointed and out that this is unethical journalism.

"The giants...want to finish small and medium sized laboratories and it's most unfortunate that the media is being used to tarnish us by engaging in sting operations like this," said Kumar.

B. Mohanachandran, a senior veterinarian surgeon told IANS that "only through an antigen/antibody tests can the blood of human and animals can be differentiated and mind you animals also have cholesterol".

"Under normal circumstances it's only in medico-legal cases that detailed tests are done on blood samples to establish if its human blood. In this case it's not fair to blame the laboratories," said Mohanachandran.

I have no sympathies with the test labs who connive with the doctors to carry our unnecessary tests and pay about 35 to 40 % of the test charges to the doctor recommending the tests.

Having said that, I agree with the labs that the above sting operation is the work of foreign companies who through the media (which are foreign controlled), trying to gain entry into India.

We have seen how this same media has been trying to defame Indian saints through unverified scurrilous reports which later turn out to be false.

How many of the media tender and apology for the earlier false reports?

I would suggest everyone not to accept the reports of the media at face value and to do independent inquiries to come to the facts.