JAIPUR: Nearly three months after its inauguration in Jan 2026, the toxicology and drug level laboratory at SMS Hospital remains non-functional, leaving critically ill poisoning patients without access to crucial diagnostic support.Set up at a cost of Rs 1 crore, the lab is equipped to detect and measure drugs, poisons and chemical substances in blood, urine, saliva, hair and tissue samples. However, not a single patient sample has been tested so far as the state govt is yet to decide whether the cost of tests will be borne by patients or covered under public funding. “We have written to Rajasthan Medicare Relief Society for guidance on the payment issue, without which we are not able to conduct test,” said Dr DK Sharma, in-charge of the lab.The delay has serious implications for treatment of patients admitted with poisoning, drug overdose, insecticide exposure, snake bite and chemical toxicity. In the absence of lab confirmation, doctors are currently relying on symptoms and standard antidote protocols rather than preciseidentification of the toxin or its concentration.A senior SMS Hospital official said cases involving insecticides, mosquito repellents, industrial chemicals and drug overdoses are routine. “Currently, doctors provide antidotes and symptomatic treatment without having any clear idea of the amount or kind of poison in blood. If a lab report gives a clear idea about the poisonand its level, chances of speedy recovery go up and it could save lives,” the official said.Equipped with advanced technologies such as immunoassay, gas and liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry, the lab can enable faster, more accurate treatment decisions in emergency medicine.
