Importance of reference pathology laboratory in medical diagnostics

Dr Avinash A Phadke

The role of reference clinical laboratory is increasingly gaining importance in the evolving healthcare industry. Reference laboratory generally performs highly specialised tests like hormone assays, drug assays, tumor marker studies, genetic tests, microbiological tests and histopathological investigations.

Because of centralisation and high volumes, a reference laboratory has access to latest technological advancements and can appoint highly skilled medical personnel in various specialties to give technical support. The priorities of hospitals are management of their ICU, medical and surgical beds and operation theatres. Space constraint and manpower liabilities, makes it economically attractive for a hospital to outsource tests like PCR, HIV viral load, tumor markers, receptor studies in cases of breast cancer etc to a reference laboratory.

For example, NPIL and Dr Phadke’s laboratory is managing the state-of-art laboratory in association with Bhakti-Vedanta hospital at Mira Road with fully equipped automated analyzers and a full time MD pathologist.

Established laboratories have come up with multi-specialty labs in Asian market with expert medical services. Off shoring is done by other countries and the tests are outsourced to India to these labs.

Thus outsourcing provides a good quality report along with a good brand name with less manpower hassles, at an attractive price.

The writer is managing director of NPIL and Dr Phadke’s Lab