People are facing “totally unacceptable” lengthy delays for test results as the Government laboratory has remained closed for nine months.Many blood and urine samples are having to be sent overseas after the Central Government Laboratory on Point Finger Road, Paget, closed in October.This is leading to delays of many months and it is also understood to be an additional burden on the taxpayers’ purse.The laboratory closed at the end of October as the Old Hospital Building was demolished as part of the redevelopment of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.At that time the Ministry of Health apologised for the inconvenience to the public saying they would suspend services for just two months when equipment was dismantled and reinstalled in a temporary location.Then the Ministry of Public Works has this week revealed that to date more than $1 million has been spent on the new facility and the storing of equipment. This is expected to exceed the original budgeted costs. The long-term plan is to rehouse the laboratory in the new Health Department at Marsh Folly.The laboratory provides public health and forensic laboratory services to government and non-government agencies, including environmental health, the police, the courts and the hospitals.Shadow Health Minister Kathy Michelmore highlighted the problem in the Senate this week saying it was causing her “a lot of concern”.She said: “The Bermuda Government Laboratory is still not in operation.“The laboratory closed to make way for the new hospital development, but now what is happening?“We need answers because there seems to be no anticipated timeframe for the opening of the laboratory.“This is a totally unacceptable delay”.Senator Michelmore went through previous information supplied by Government saying no official statements had been made since last year, when it was said testing services would resume in December.However, in February this year Government put out to tender the cabling work of the Government lab relocation. The start date was given as March 26.Then in response to Parliamentary Questions asked by Senator Craig Cannonier, the Ministry of Public Works revealed this week that the total development of the laboratory, plus the cost of storing equipment, has so far totalled more than $1,460,000.Acting permanent secretary Thomasina Hassell said they “expected the project to exceed the original budgeted estimate as there were items not included in the original tender that were required for the completed works”.She would not, however, disclose the terms and details of the new lease saying they were “still under negotiation”.Sen Michelmore said: “I’m just asking if Government could furnish us with more information.“What is happening with the Government laboratory? We need to be given regular updates to reassure us that this is being handled effectively”.Commenting after the Senate, Senator Michelmore said the laboratory situation showed “a failure to plan adequately and a failure to keep the public informed”.She said: “The need to relocate the laboratory was known well in advance of November last year.“There has been no clear public explanation as to why there was no facility ready for the laboratory in November, and there has been no explanation as to why the laboratory is still not in a position to reopen.“It has been indicated that the facility will be over budget, but no details as to how much over have been forthcoming.“I believe that for public projects such as this, there should be regular updates as to what is happening and why there are continued delays. Greater openness and communication avoids misconception and false conjecture.”The laboratory carries out the analysis of water, food and dairy products for bacteriological and chemical quality, analysis or urine specimens for drug abuse, and forensic and toxicological analyses.The closure of the laboratory is also having a knock-on effect on the issuing of death certificates, where toxicology tests are required.In a separate story we highlight the three-month plight of widow Suzie Lowe who has been waiting for the death certificate of her husband Rob Ambrosio. It is understood that seven outstanding blood samples were sent overseas last month when Mrs Lowe started to ask questions.Government backbencher Dale Butler said Mrs Lowe was “one of many” people suffering from the closure of the Government laboratory.He said: “It’s a concern for people across the Island. It’s absolutely pitiful. These are citizens being deprived of basic information.“The Ministers have to make this happen. Government really has to step up to the wicket”.Mr Butler said he knew Public Works Minister Derek Burgess and Health Minister Zane DeSilva were “very concerned” about the delays.He said: “There are concerns but they (the two Ministers) don’t mix the cement or order the equipment, that is the job of other people.“Everyone is waiting on things to happen. They want the new laboratory to actually be built.“The Ministers really have to push for this to happen as it’s in their hands.”Police and court services are also understood to have been negatively affected by the holdups. But a Bermuda Police Service spokesman refused to comment saying: “The matter of the Government analyst is solely the remit of the Ministry of Health as such we will not be addressing this matter.”The closure of the laboratory does not affect the hospital’s healthcare services with a Bermuda Hospitals Board spokeswoman saying: “BHB’s Pathology Department provides a different type of testing than the Government’s Central Lab and so our healthcare service is unaffected by their status.”A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health refused to go into details, but she confirmed: “Some basic analyses are being done using another lab facility” and “some samples have been sent overseas”.The spokeswoman said: “For some testing, such as urine drug testing, delays are being experienced.”She added that staff were either using other facilities or doing administration work from home, including preparing for their accreditation.The Ministry of Public Works did not respond to our request for comment. The Royal Gazette put a series of questions to the Minister but did not receive any answers. Questions included when the new facility would open and the reason for the delay.Have you been affected by the closure of the Government laboratory? If so, e-mail news[AT]royalgazette.bm