Over 80 lakh benefitted from free lab-testing

Mumbai: The free lab-testing scheme has been launched in 2,315 government health institutions in the state and during the last one year, over 80 lakh patients have benefitted from this scheme. Nearly 1.82 crore medical tests of 100 different types have been performed on 80 lakh patients. The facility has been made available in 2,315 government medical and health institutions.

As per this agreement, laboratories were set up in government health institutes in the state by organisations with whom, agreements had been signed. At the PHC level, 25 types of lab tests will be conducted free-of-cost. Rural dispensaries and sub-district hospitals, sub-district hospitals (with more than 100 beds), women’s hospitals, general hospitals, district hospitals, mental hospitals and divisional referral hospitals will conduct 46 types of lab tests while six types of special tests will be carried out under this project. These include diabetes, haematology, thyroid, malaria, microbiology, etc.

These medical and health institutes are being empowered to provide such kind of quality healthcare services to common people. Health minister Eknath Shinde said, “Efforts are on to provide basic facilities while upgr-ading health institutes at various places. There is a need to have laboratories for conducting medical investigations of blood, urine, sputum etc.”

He added, “The expenditure for these tests is beyond the capacity of common patients. So, in view of providing these tests to them free-of-cost, the state government last year inked an agreement with HLL Life Care Institute for free lab tests.”