Doctor unearths scary local lab results

Feb 10, 2013 News

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– accuses Health Ministry of foot-dragging with investigation

By Dale Andrews

A prominent medical doctor is convinced that a well known private laboratory is jeopardizing the health of patients with the results of tests they are proffering, and she is urging the Ministry of Health to speed up their investigations into what she described as medical malpractices.
Dr Agueda Surrey, a Cuban-born duly registered medical practitioner, who has been operating in Guyana for the past 28 years, has lodged a complaint with the Ministry about the tests results produced by the Multi-Tech Reference Laboratory and entity with which she severed ties late last year.
However, authorities at the laboratory have explained that except for a few human typographical errors, there is nothing alarming about the tests results. They believe that the doctor’s complaints stem from a financial fallout with regards to a contractual arrangement with a USA-based cruise line.
However, test results seen by this newspaper revealed a scary similarity which some medical experts described as medical impossibilities.
The discrepancies were found in tests such as cholesterol profiles, kidney function tests, liver function tests and complete blood tests.
For example, blood tests results for five different individuals showed that they all had the same Mean Cell HB (31); Mean Cell Conc. (33) and Mean Cell volume (94).
In other cases tests results show that five persons have the exact same reading for both liver function and kidney function tests.
“It’s (medically) impossible for this to happen,” another independent doctor told Kaieteur News when shown the lab results.
Most of the tests were done in 2010, on prospective employees of Royal Caribbean cruise lines to which Dr. Surrey is contracted to conduct the medical examinations.
In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Dr Surrey said that over a period of time conducting the medicals, she observed that their lab tests results were all similar if not identical.
She said that she spoke to the officials at the Multi-Tech Lab where the tests were being done and the response she got was not satisfactory.
She said that she started to compile data with a view to establishing a case for the Ministry to investigate.
Dr Surrey said that she even contacted the Guyana National Bureau of Standards to ascertain if the lab was certified by them, since she wanted to ensure that the medical reports that she was preparing were above board in all aspects.
“That was in November and they said that they will get back to me but they never did,” she lamented.
As she continued to raise concerns with the management of the lab she started to observe the way they were treating the samples that she was sending them and realized that “something was not right”.
According to her, the lab refused to adequately address her concerns and she decided to send her samples elsewhere, angering the management of the Multi-Tech Lab, with whom she had been doing a lucrative business.
In the meantime, Dr Surrey decided to lodge an official complaint with the Ministry of Health.
Dr Julian Amsterdam, the Director of Medical Services, received the official complaint and according to Dr Surrey, he appeared very interested at first.
But a few weeks later, all hell broke loose; Dr Surrey found herself being investigated by the Ministry for what they claimed was her unlicenced laboratory practice, although she was merely taking samples.
She explained to the Ministry that the samples she was taking, were sent to a laboratory for testing; sometimes even to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation Laboratory.
She presented receipts to support her claims.
“They are saying that I cannot take samples at my office…but people are doing tests at the market, and even pharmacies are doing,” Dr Surrey told Kaieteur News.
She believes that the attack on her by the Ministry is a direct result of her complaining about the Multi Tech Reference Lab three months ago.
“They should be investigating the lab, not me. What upsets me is that they (Ministry) don’t want to do anything about the lab. For me it’s the people who will suffer. It’s their people, their nation and their destiny,” Dr Surrey declared.
This newspaper contacted the management of the lab and a senior official there brushed aside Dr Surrey’s allegations.
The official who was shown copies of the tests results noted that the results were all normal and in cases where they showed similarity, he put it down to typing error.
“The doctor could have simply raised it with the technician and have it corrected. Instead she waited and the go to the media,” the official told Kaieteur News.
This newspaper contacted Dr. Amsterdam and he confirmed that a complaint was lodged against the laboratory.
However he declined to pronounce on the status of that investigation.
He admitted, though, that he did point out to Dr. Surrey that she needed to put her practice in order.
“There are laws in a country and they are used to ensure that they are complied with to ensure that clients are having standardized services,” he told Kaieteur News.
He said that in his position at the Ministry of Health, he is obligated to ensure that all health facilities, private or public are in compliance with the law.
“I am disappointed that it is being misconstrued that I am being partial,” Dr. Amsterdam told this newspaper.
In the meantime the laboratory is still operating and according to at least two medical practitioners, if the discrepancies continue, it could be disastrous for many patients since they can be mistreated for their diagnosis.

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