ICMR develops draft list of tests must at health facilities

ICMR develops  draft list of tests must at health facilities

DurgeshNandan.Jha@timesofindia.com 02.01.2025

New Delhi : What are the minimum number and type of tests that should be available in a health facility? The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has developed one such list that would soon act as a guide for all health facilities run by the govt — from village-level health centres and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) to district hospitals. 

Called the National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL), the draft of which has been put out in the public domain for stakeholder comments, suggests that even village-level health facilities should have at least nine types of diagnostic tests available. These include tests for diabetes, malaria, TB, HIV and syphilis. At Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the draft guidelines suggest that testing for Hepatitis B should be available in addition to the basic tests that are also available at village-level health facilities. Moving up in the hierarchy of health facilities are primary health centres (PHCs). The ICMR draft gui delines suggest that PHCs should have diagnostic tests available for all common illnesses, including dengue, Japanese Encephalitis and scrub typhus. At PHCs, the ICMR guidelines add that Xray and ECG machines should also be available. 

The proposed guidelines mandate availability of CT scan, MRI, mammography, and echocardiography at districtlevel health facilities. “The proposed guidelines are much needed, for timely diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. Currently, many health facilities being run in rural areas do not have even basic diagnostic facilities due to which people have to travel far to higher centres, where there is long waiting time, leading to the loss of crucial time in diagnosis and initiation of treatment. It can prove fatal in some cases,” an expert said. The ICMR released the first National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) in 2019 to make diagnostics an essential component of the healthcare system. Officials said the new guidelines are a revised version of the NEDL, incorporating inputs from relevant stakeholders and feedback from multiple consultation meetings. The draft of the second NEDL reflects advancements made in recent years, an official said.