The state health department has decided to set up infrastructure facilities in all primary-level rural hospitals and primary health centres to conduct pathological and radiological tests.
According to the existing system, mainly tertiary and secondary level hospitals like medical colleges, district hospitals and sub-divisional hospitals conduct pathological and radiological tests. In many state-run tertiary and secondary hospitals government has set up laboratories and diagnostic centres on the public-private-partnership (PPP) model to cater to healthcare demands.
The government has allowed the private agencies to set up laboratories and radiological investigation units using the space inside respective public healthcare units on the PPP model. Indoor patients undergoing treatments in state-run hospitals get discounts on different clinical tests done in these pathological and radiological units under the PPP model.
From now, all primary level hospitals and health centres will have the facilities to conduct most of the clinical investigations. The health department has issued a circular in this regard on Wednesday.
Sources in the health department said that the government would provide logistic support to small hospitals across districts to set up laboratories and diagnostic centres so that different basic investigations related to pathology, haematology, biochemistry, microbiology, radiology etc are done on mild and non-severe patients.
The move to make all the block, rural hospitals and primary health centres equipped to get these clinical investigations in their own laboratories so that patients do no more require to rush the medical colleges and districts hospitals.
It would also reduce the habit of a section of doctors recommending patients to big hospitals’ laboratories and radiology units for several simple basic clinical tests, the sources felt.
Chief medical officers of health in districts would also be asked to take initiatives in this regard.