New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) India has released the second edition of the National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) to boost the country’s public health system, the Indian Medical Research Council said on Thursday.

The second edition of the NEDL, providing information on the minimum number of tests that must be available at different levels of public health care, is in collaboration with the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC).

“It is anticipated that the NEDL will play a pivotal role in improving access to safe, effective, and affordable quality diagnostics. By reducing direct healthcare costs and out-of-pocket expenditures, it will contribute to better patient care and reinforce India’s healthcare infrastructure,” said Rajiv Bahl, Director General, ICMR.

The list provides recommendations for essential diagnostic tests across all levels of healthcare, from village-level facilities to district hospitals.

It includes “six essential tests at village level, 15 tests at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Sub-Centres), 69 tests at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), 97 tests at Community Health Centres (CHCs) and 165 tests at Sub-District and District Hospitals (SDHs/DHs),” said senior scientist Dr. Kamini Walia, from ICMR’s Division of Descriptive Research.

“The updated edition marks a significant step forward with the inclusion of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) at Ayushman Arogya Mandir, Sub-centres and PHCs,” added Dr Sonam Vijay, Scientific Consultant, ICMR, in a post on LinkedIn.

The updated NEDL builds on the foundation of the original list, and also comes after public feedback was sought early this year by ICMR.

“This list comes six years after the launch of the first NEDL in 2018, reflecting the nation’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and responding to evolving public health needs,” Walia said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) published its Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics (EDL) in 2018, following which India was the first country to publish the National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) in 2019, a significant initiative to bridge diagnostic gaps at the primary healthcare level and strengthen healthcare delivery.

The scientists noted that the government has made considerable strides in improving diagnostic infrastructure, notable among them are establishing Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHLs) and periodic revision of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS).

“A key highlight in this edition is that many diagnostic tests, previously recommended as hub and spoke, can now be undertaken directly at PHCs, doing away with the need to send samples to distant hubs,” Walia said.

“This positive shift will make health centres more self-sufficient in diagnosing and treating a wider array of conditions at the local level, improving both speed and quality of care,” the senior scientist added.

Importantly, the revised list recommends inclusion of “RDTs such as for syphilis, sickle cell disease, and Hepatitis B” at Ayushman Arogya Mandir sub-centres and PHCs.

This will ensure early detection and timely treatment for a wider array of diseases in rural areas, Walia said.

–IANS

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