Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has ordered commencement of diagnostic labs at government-run district headquarters hospitals in 19 select districts from Monday.
The services will be offered in Mahabubnagar, Nizamabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Jangaon, Mulug, Mahbubabad, Kothagudem, Jagtial, Siddipet, Nalgonda, Khammam, Sircilla, Vikarabad, Nirmal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Gadwal and K.B. Asifabad. The preparations for labs at hospitals in these towns were already completed.
The decision on diagnostic services offering 57 types of investigations at these labs was taken at a meeting held by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with health officials on Saturday.
The labs will have state-of-the art machines like fully automatic clinical chemistry analysers, fully automatic immunoassay analysers, five part cell counters, Elisa readers and washers and fully automatic urine analysers. Imaging devices like ECG, 2D Echo, ultrasound machines and digital X rays will also be set up. They will generate 400 to 800 precise reports per hour which will be despatched to the cell phones of patients or their attendants. Besides, the patients will be provided ambulances to take them to hospitals and back to make it totally free from the time they leave their homes.
The government will employ pathologists, microbiologists, radiologists and other qualified technicians at the centres.
Mr. Rao said on the occasion that the government had improved basic infrastructure at primary health centres and other hospitals across the State in view of COVID-19 pandemic. One more step was being taken now to step up healthcare to common public. The decision to open diagnostic services, which was the most important part of health facilities, free of cost, at district headquarters hospitals was a milestone in the history of State.
Health was becoming more and more expensive as time passed. Poor people faced the plight of selling their properties to pay for medical expenses. The bill for diagnosis of disease was higher than treatment itself. Investigations to diagnose ailments of heart, kidney, liver, lungs, cancer and thyroid had become inevitable for common public. Added to the list of diseases recently was COVID, he added.
The doctor would prescribe medicines to patients at government hospitals but they would have to first visit private diagnostic centres for investigations spending thousands of rupees. This was a huge financial burden on poor. The poor suffered recently from COVID testing and treatment.
In this background, Mr. Rao said the government realised mere treatment given by doctors at its hospitals was not enough as investigations were also highly important. Therefore, the decision to start diagnostic services in 19 districts was taken. They will be further opened phase wise wherever required.
