Berhampur, Feb. 5: The Integrated Pathology Laboratory (IPL) to cater to patients’ needs at City Hospital has started functioning here.

“This is for the first time in the state that we have introduced the IPL in a district headquarters hospital with a positive response,” said chief district medical officer of Ganjam Niranjan Behera.

Engineering School Road resident Surya Narayan Sahu welcomed the concept. Today, Sahu and his daughter visited the City Hospital to determine blood group of his two-and-a-half years old granddaughter Tanushree Behera.

“Blood testing and getting reports have been made easy for us, and I must thank the hospital authority for this unique idea,” he said.

Ratnakar Behera, senior pathologist and the in charge of the IPL, said the lab was inaugurated on January 26.

Six sections — serology, biochemical tests, haematology, clinical pathology, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC)/histopathology and cytology — are there.

“We are now undertaking stool, urine and other tests in clinical pathology section, DC, TLC, ESR, HB and TPC in haematology, blood sugar, urea, serum creatinine, uric acid, lipid profile and abdomen globulin in biochemical tests in semi-auto analyser by Robonic equipment, FNAC and other tests in the cytology section. All the tests are being done at fees prescribed by the government,” Ratnakar, the retired chief district medical officer of Ganjam, said.

The testing laboratories were situated at various places in the City Hospital complex earlier and patients were facing difficulties.