Long delays on cancer test results have forced the Government clinic and local gynaecologists to send samples overseas.

Savannah DeVent, lab manager at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, this week admitted that waits have increased from a few weeks to three months for the testing process and she blamed the problem on a staff shortage of technologists.

Results of common PAP smears, which are used to indicate cervical cancer, are most affected by the hospital delay. In fact the backlog had mounted so high that the hospital has also had to resort to sending some samples overseas.

Most of the Island's gynaecologists and the women's clinic run by Government, have been sending their requests to local laboratory CNS West, who in turn courier the samples to a lab in Indianapolis, Illinois.

Despite the long journey test results are back in Bermuda within eight days, a significant improvement on the three-month wait at KEMH.

According to Government's senior medical officer Brenda Davidson, the overseas testing also costs less. But while the costs are lower, the Illinois lab will only carry out the procedure for those who have medical insurance.

Local gynaecologists we spoke with revealed that samples for their clients who may be on the Government Health Insurance plan (HIP) or who are not insured at all, are sent to KEMH.

Dr. Davidson noted that special "rush'' procedures were in place at KEMH for patients for whom they have a high concern.

"I am not criticising the hospital,'' she said. "They are doing their best and they will bring directly to the front anyone we express an urgent concern with.

"If there is a patient for whom there is a particular query,'' said Ms DeVent, "we do attend to their testing with a turn-around of only a few days.'' But the whole problem at the hospital began last March when two of the five specialist technologists resigned.

According to KEMH CEO Stephanie Reid, specialty histo-cyto technologists required to read the samples were in short supply and high demand all over the world.

She explained that the hospital had been fervently trying to attract two replacements and had advertised in the US, Canada and the West Indies.

"There are not many people out there fully trained in this area of expertise,'' she said. "We do have the promise of one gentleman and are just waiting for his work permit to be granted.

"We are approaching the situation with a positive outlook.'' Ms DeVent revealed that in the interim in an effort not to put too much pressure on the three technologists currently left, the hospital has resorted to sending samples to a lab in Florida.

"This is very concentrated work and requires the technologists to sit looking under a microscope for hours,'' she said.

"We cannot afford for them to lose their sensitivity.'' Ms Reid noted that the hospital accepted their responsibility to do the testing and said they were still actively seeking a second technologist.

"I would like to assure the public that we are working assiduously to find the second person,'' she said.

"It is to our benefit to do so because we could end up in a situation where the man who comes finds he is being overwhelmed and then, he may not want to stay.''