Advocating National Diagnostic Guidelines for Healthcare Revolution in India

Dr. Kuldeep Sachdeva, President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Molbio Diagnostics, has emphasized implementing national essential diagnostic guidelines in India to revolutionize healthcare delivery. This step will standardize diagnostic practices, enhance patient care, and bridge healthcare disparities nationwide.

According to Dr. Sachdeva, access to accurate diagnostics is fundamental to effective patient management and healthcare outcomes. Establishing essential diagnostic guidelines will empower healthcare professionals with standardized protocols, ensuring consistency and quality in diagnostic procedures.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) developed the National Essential Diagnostic List (NEDL) in 2019, recognizing that high-quality diagnostics in the healthcare system are crucial to providing good quality health services. India was the first country to launch the National EDL (NEDL) in 2019, following the release of the first edition of the Essential Diagnostic List (EDL) by WHO in May 2018.

The NEDL lists the essential and most basic tests that should be available at various levels of healthcare facilities in the country, including at the village level, in sub-health centers, health and wellness centers, and primary health centers. It consists of general laboratory tests required for routine patient care and for diagnosing a wide array of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

To ensure cost-effective availability of the required number of tests at different levels of facilities, the NEDL suggests implementing certain tests through a hub and spoke model in the absence of suitable capacities. The essential diagnostic guidelines are pivotal in streamlining diagnostic processes, guiding clinical decision-making, and optimizing resource utilization, making their significance undeniable.