Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant lapse by the authorities of Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College, 17 bio-specimens collected for examinations at the pathology lab went missing on Saturday. Investigations revealed that a scrap dealer had stolen the boxes containing the samples after the hospital staff placed them in front of the pathology lab while shifting them from an ambulance. The Medical College Police have taken the scrap dealer into custody following a complaint from the hospital authorities. 

The bio-specimens belonged to patients who had undergone surgery on Friday. These samples were sent to the lab for disease detection.

The hospital staff had placed the boxes containing the samples near the lab. The scrap dealer took the samples while the ambulance driver and two grade attendants were busy delivering samples to the microbiology lab.

In his statement to the police, the scrap dealer claimed he took the boxes, assuming they contained scrap material. However, he abandoned the boxes near the principal’s office after noticing the specimens inside them.

Pathology Department Head Dr. Laila Raji told Manorama News that the specimens are safe and confirmed that the delay in delivering them to the lab would not affect the diagnosis, as each sample was preserved in formalin, a fixative.

"Usually, specimens for the pathology and microbiology labs are collected together. The 17 samples went missing when the staff went to deliver some samples to the microbiology lab," said Dr. Raji.

Meanwhile, the incident has raised concerns about a serious lapse in the hospital staff's handling of these critical specimens. It is alleged that the staff were negligent in handling the samples, which are crucial for the medical care of numerous sick patients.