Ragesh, Rishi, and Raju in the Lab
The diagnostic laboratory is an integral part of the healthcare and community health program at JSS, providing diagnostic services to not only outpatients and inpatients, but also to the mobile clinics, and to the village health program.
It is staffed by a medical microbiologist and qualified technicians and is equipped with microscopes, 2 centrifuges, colorimeter, water bath, refrigerator etc. and provides 40 different types of pathological, biochemical and basic microbiological investigations on different samples on extremely low cost. All reports are signed out within four hours of sample collection with the exception of culture reports.
The lab also contains the first blood storage facility to be sanctioned in Chhattisgarh.
Protection of Public Health: The Cholera Epidemic of 2007
In August 2007, an outbreak of a diarrheal illness broke out in Kota block in several villages, in Takhatpur block, in which patients presented with features of shock within a few hours of onset of diarrhea. Investigations at the JSS laboratory showed presence of vibrios with darting motility in 48 patients. Culture confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholerae.
None of the patients who presented to JSS died, though many were pulseless when they arrived. JSS informed the district health authorities promptly who also took corrective action.
JSS undertook field visits to assess water quality in the villages in the village health programme. It was found for example that almost 30% of the hand pumps at the village level had evidence of fecal contamination of drinking water. This finding from JSS is of a disturbing nature, as hitherto water obtained from hand pumps was assumed to be safe. It is difficult to disinfect hand pumps in comparison to wells.
