Free diagnostic services by the State government were kick-started in the city on Saturday with the inauguration of the central laboratory by Minister K.T. Rama Rao on the premises of Institute of Preventive Medicine here on Saturday .
The laboratory will serve as a hub for free diagnostic services, called Telangana Diagnostics, which will function on a hub and spoke-model. Samples from the primary health centres, community health centres, and from other health facilities which are spokes in the model will be collected for transportation to the central lab.
Talking about initiatives in the healthcare sector by the State, Mr. Taraka Rama Rao said these moves have helped draw more people to government hospitals. About Telangana Diagnostics, the Minister said the central lab can generate 100 reports in an hour. In all, the laboratory promises to provide 56 blood tests. Thirty more blood tests will be performed free of cost at IPM under an MOU with Telangana Diagnostics. The results of the tests will be reported online. Since the IPM charges for its services, Telangana Diagnostics has entered into agreement to pay IPM for the services it provides.
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The government informed that samples will be collected from the 120-odd PHCs, the area hospitals and CHCs in Hyderabad. The lab was set up at a cost of around ₹ 4 crore with funds under the National Health Mission.
Officials informed that the Health Department is planning to expand the services to rest of the State in the coming months by setting up 20 more hubs similar to what was inaugurated on Saturday.