New system at State hospitals to conduct laboratory tests

Nadira Gunatilleke

Patients who visit State hospitals where laboratory facilities are not available will be able to get their medical tests done free of charge from the same hospital under a new system to be introduced by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry shortly, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, until now patients were sometimes required to pay money and get their medical tests done from private laboratories or wait for a longer period until the State hospital collects the samples, send them to another State hospital where laboratory facilities are available and obtain reports.

It took a long time for this process because the hospital with laboratory facilities conducts medical tests for one or more State hospitals at the same time.

Considering this situation the Ministry launched a pilot project to collect the samples from patients, get the medical tests done from the nearest private laboratory and obtain reports via fax.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry provides the required funds for the State hospitals to implement the new system and therefore the patients can get all their medical tests done free of charge by the same State hospital they obtain treatment without any delay under the country’s free health care service, he added.