Visionary Initiative to Revolutionize Rural Healthcare

Central Government to Provide 74 Types of Tests at Primary Health Centers : Preparations to Improve the Health of Rural India: Free Tests Including X-ray, ECG, Liver, and Kidney

In a significant move to enhance the health infrastructure in rural India, the Central Government has announced plans to expand medical screening facilities at health centers across the country. This initiative will enable people to access 74 types of testing facilities at primary health centers, including X-ray, ECG, liver, kidney, and blood profile tests, as well as tests for infections like TB, sickle cell, and scrub typhus, all free of cost. Currently, only a limited number of these facilities are available at health centers.

Expansion of Government Medical Services

To extend medical services to villages and towns, the government has revised the National List of Essential Diagnostics. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released a draft of the revised list and is seeking suggestions from stakeholders. The 25-page list outlines the expanded services at various health centers:

• Ayushman Bharat Arogya Mandirs: 16 testing facilities
• Primary Health Centers: 74 testing facilities
• Community Health Centres:93 testing facilities
• District Hospitals: 171 testing facilities

Primary health centers (PHCs) should offer tests for common illnesses like a) dengue, b) Japanese Encephalitis, and c) scrub typhus, along with d) X-ray and e) ECG services. District-level facilities, on the other and, should provide a) CT scans, b)( MRIs, c) mammograms, and d) echocardiography, as per the proposal in the works.

These facilities will be provided free of cost, including tests typically available only in urban areas.

The ICMR defines essential diagnostics as tests “that satisfy the priority healthcare needs of the population and are selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and accuracy, and comparative cost-effectiveness”.

Financial Relief for Patients

The central government estimates that the expansion of facilities will bring significant relief to patients. Currently, patients in villages spend at least Rs 500 for basic tests, while those requiring tests at district hospitals spend between Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000.

Hepatitis Testing in Ayushman Bharat Arogya Mandirs

According to the Union Health Ministry, there are currently 12 types of health facilities available in 1,75,338 Ayushman Bharat Arogya Mandirs across the country. Under the e-Sanjeevani scheme, patients can receive doctor’s appointments via video call. The new list will include hepatitis testing at these centres. Additionally, nine health check-up facilities will be made available in every village, including tests for blood glucose, malaria, HIV, syphilis, TB, and more.

Revised National Essential Diagnostics List

“The revised NEDL takes into account the guidance documents released by the Union health ministry and aligns with national health programmes. It significantly builds upon the first list and provides recommendations for diagnostic tests across various levels of healthcare facilities.”

-Senior ICMR Official

The National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) was first released in 2019 to improve health services across the country. The ICMR has now prepared a second draft, expanding the list of services. A senior official from the Union Health Ministry stated that the process of implementing the new list will start within six months, aiming to provide better medical checkups free of cost in both rural and urban areas.

India was the first country to develop this list. ICMR’s NEDL 2019 was adopted by the Free Diagnostics Service Initiative (FDSI) of the National Health Mission (NHM), ensuring that diagnostic services provided under the initiative aligned with essential diagnostic tests.

The Medical Bulletin