“Private diagnostic laboratories should have on their own maintained a uniform structure with focus on the highest standards of diagnostic services”
When it comes to prioritising health care services the functioning of private diagnostic laboratories has also to be one of the basic priorities of the health and medical education department. Though allowing expansion of quality diagnostic laboratories is good for expanding the accessibility of people to quality diagnostic services in Jammu & Kashmir but unfortunately the quality diagnostic services at the private diagnostic laboratories are virtually compromised as no proper mechanism over the regulation of either their fee structur or the quality of their diagnostic services has been put in place so for by the health and medical education department. While private diagnostic laboratories randomly fix fee structure for various diagnostic tests at their own conveniences, the doubts over the efficacy and efficiency of the diagnostic tests of most of the diagnostic laboratories barring a few are raised more by the doctors than the patients. Interestingly the fee for diagnostic tests varies from laboratory to laboratory across Jammu & Kashmir. While it was for the Health & Medical Education Department to establish uniformity in the fee structure of private diagnostic laboratories as is in case with the diagnostic laboratories established at the Government hospitals, the private diagnostic laboratories should have on their own maintained a uniform structure with focus on the highest standards of diagnostic services with the intent of leaving no scope for criticism of the efficacy and efficiency of their diagnostic tested either by the doctors or the patients.
“Keeping in view the increasing public outrage against the non-stop rise in the discriminatory fee structure of the diagnostic tests at the private diagnostic laboratories with no regulation from the Health and Medical Education, the onus of enforcing a regular mechanism for regulation of both the fee structure and as well as the quality of diagnostic tests lies on health and medical education department. Big decisions taken for improving the healthcare services are welcome but leaving private diagnostic unaccountable and more so over the fee structure and quality of the diagnostic tests is against the basic spirits of the delivery of quality healthcare services in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Not only once but dozens of times the complaints over the efficacy and efficiency of the diagnostic tests of private diagnostic laboratories have attracted huge criticism from people of all hues but unfortunately the action warranted under rules is not initiated against the private diagnostic laboratories accused of compromising the quality of diagnostic tests for a fee which is almost unaffordable for people of lower middle sections of the society. Though most of the doctors don’t accept the reports of such private diagnostic laboratories whose credibility is below standards but it is also an irrefutable fact that doctors not commanding greater public reputation accept the reports of the diagnostic laboratories whose efficacy and efficiency of diagnostic is under public scanner. A stronger vigil over the working of the private diagnostic laboratories would have by all standards of understandabilities raised the standards of the quality of their diagnostic tests to the extent of leaving no scope for doubts over the quality of their reports. Keeping in view the increasing public outrage against the non-stop rise in the discriminatory fee structure of the diagnostic tests at the private diagnostic laboratories with no regulation from the Health and Medical Education, the onus of enforcing a regular mechanism for regulation of both the fee structure and as well as the quality of diagnostic tests lies on health and medical education department. Big decisions taken for improving the healthcare services are welcome but leaving private diagnostic unaccountable and more so over the fee structure and quality of the diagnostic tests is against the basic spirits of the delivery of quality healthcare services in Jammu & Kashmir.
