This government initiative aimed to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by patients offers over 57 free diagnostic tests
To provide free quality diagnostic services to the poor in the State, the Telangana government had launched the Telangana Diagnostics Service in January 2017. Since then, the service has been used by crores of people across the State.
The initiative was aimed to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by patients, as not all tests were available at government hospitals. Even while getting treated at a State-run hospital, the patient had to undergo diagnostic tests at private labs and that would burn a hole in their pockets, especially those coming from very poor families.
Over 57 types of tests
Today, over 57 different types of diagnostic tests are performed for free under the Telangana Diagnostics Service. The samples of patients are collected at lower-level health centres and sent to the central hub for testing. The initial sample load was about 2,000 per day, which was transported to the central hub for testing. Later, the load increased to 8,000 samples per day. With the high volume of work, the central hub in Hyderabad currently operates 24 hours a day for six days a week.
Since its inception in 2017 till October 2022, the diagnostic service has seen a total of 36.20 lakh patients with 68.96 lakh samples being collected and a total of 6.46 crore tests being performed. The government has established about 20 hubs in various districts, with each facility being spread over an area of 2,400 square feet.
Central hub at IPM
The central hub located at the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) in Hyderabad witnesses the highest number in all parameters; 17.50 lakh patients, 36.41 lakh samples and 2.72 crore tests conducted. The other hubs are in Siddipet, Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Vikarabad, Nizamabad, Jangaon, Nalgonda, Mahabubabad, Asifabad, Kothagudem, Jagtiyal, Medak, Sircilla, Adilabad, Nirmal, Sangareddy, Mulugu and Gadwal.
Mobile application
The government had rolled out the mobile application of Telangana Diagnostics in May 2022. One can register on the app by filling out basic details like name, mobile, email, Aadhaar number and date of birth.
Initially, the app had problems like not having the mobile numbers of quite a few diagnostic centres. When users tried to dial and click on a particular phone number, their dial pad would open with four random digits. And the recent problem that many users are facing is with the app’s response.
To many users, the app gives an “unable to connect to server” response, while users who have forgotten their password are unable to reset as the app does not respond. Once an user is able to log into the app, he is greeted with a welcome screen that has 2 options — ‘Find nearest Telangana Diagnostic Centre’ and ‘View Visits’. When the first is clicked, a list of all the diagnostic centres appears on screen in alphabetical order. The user also has the option to see the number of tests provided at each centre.
Telangana Diagnostics provides all basic and complex tests, including complete blood count, urine examination, lipid profile, blood glucose, ECG, ultrasound, X-Ray, creatinine, and thyroid profile, among others. Test results are provided within 24 hours at most centres, and the maximum time taken is 48 hours, depending on the complexity of the test.
Dr. Rajyalakshmi, medical officer of Gagan Mahal UPHC in Hyderabad that also houses a T-Diagnostic centre, said that the health centre there also serves as a maternity centre and that is the reason, anti-natal care profile tests were the most availed.
The UPHC witnesses about 80 to 90 patients per day who come as outpatients and depending upon the consultation, they go for diagnostic tests. Dr. Rajyalakshmi has two staff nurses, six Auxiliary Nurse and Midwives (ANMs), one lab technician, one pharmacist, 18 ASHA workers and three other workers to cover the entire locality of Himayatnagar.
The patient count is higher during the rainy season and therefore, a lot of people undergo tests at the diagnostic lab, mainly checking lipid profile, CBC, blood sugar and screening of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Meanwhile, at Jubilee Hills UPHC, a total of 850 tests were conducted through T-Diagnostics in November. The patient count was 461 and 644 samples were collected. Medical officer Dr. C.H. Sindhuja said that people also visit the centre for regular check-ups. The daily outpatient count is 100 to 105. The centre also conducts HIV tests.
Telangana Diagnostics was awarded with accreditation from the National Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for conducting quality tests.
“Through this flagship programme, a lot of people have benefitted. Now, the aim is to reach rural areas and connect them to nearby districts so that people do not have to travel all the way to Hyderabad for a mere test. The Telangana government is also planning to increase the number of tests from 57 to 133, so that people do not have to visit any private diagnostic test lab,” a senior government official said.
