Spectrum Medical Industries Pvt. Ltd.
LEVELS OF LABORATORIES
In India, the laboratory services are integrated with the 3-tier public health system at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Besides these, there are Reference Laboratories, Research Laboratories and Specific Disease Reference Laboratories to provide services for complex and special tests. The private sector provides laboratory support at all levels of health care both in rural and urban areas. Each laboratory should identify the scope, functions and the capacity of the services offered by it and appropriate infrastructure with requisite biosafety measures should be planned. Qualified and trained staff should be employed with periodic up-gradation of their skills.

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GLP

  • Primary Level


    Simple laboratory tests such as haemoglobin estimation and urine examination for
    albumin and sugar are carried out at Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Urban Health
    Centers (UHCs) by laboratory technicians. Most PHCs and UHCs also have
    microscopy facilities and trained technicians for examining blood smear for malarial
    parasite and sputum for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and a cold chain system. The Community
    Health Centers (CHCs) receive referrals from PHCs and the laboratory technicians
    are trained and equipped to handle additional laboratory investigations for the
    management of medical and surgical emergencies and making etiological diagnosis
    of RTIs/STIs. Facilities for screening of G6PD deficiency, sickle cell anaemia and
    thalassemia are also available for vulnerable communities. Under IDSP, training will
    be provided for diagnosis of typhoid using kits, detection of chlorination levels and
    fecal contamination in water samples.

  • Secondary level


    The district hospitals have facilities and manpower for carrying out pathology, clinical
    pathology, biochemistry, serology, and microbiological investigations. They also carry
    out tests of water quality and receive referrals from primary level facilities. The laboratory
    staff includes pathologists, microbiologists, cytotechnicians, laboratory technicians,
    blood bank technicians and laboratory attendants.

  • Tertiary level


    The medical college hospitals and non-teaching large hospitals are equipped with
    sophisticated diagnostic and investigative facilities to provide tertiary level health care.
    These hospitals receive referrals from the primary as well as the secondary levels.

  • Reference Laboratories, Research Laboratories and Specific Disease


    The Reference Laboratories, Research Laboratories and Specific Disease Reference
    Laboratories provide services in a specialized field or area of importance. These may
    be located in a medical college, research institution or a private institution. They set
    and should maintain high standards of quality in one or more particular area and
    therefore receive referrals specific to that field. They also offer consultancy, standardize
    diagnostic tests and carry out training pertaining to that specific area.