Nine types of diagnostic tests, including those for diabetes, Malaria, TB, HIV and syphilis should be made available at the health centres in village-level health facilities, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has proposed in a revised version of the National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL).

The list enumerates the minimum number of tests that should be available at various levels of healthcare facilities in the country.

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs should have facilities for Hepatitis B tests available in addition to the nine diagnostics that are available at the village-level health centres, said the revised draft list which has been prepared incorporating inputs from relevant stakeholders and feedback from multiple consultation meetings.

It builds upon the first list and provides recommendations for diagnostic tests across various levels of healthcare facilities, including village-level facilities, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, primary health centre (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), sub district hospitals (SDHs) and district hospitals (DHs).

The draft of the second NEDL has been put up on the public domain for feedback and comments from various stakeholders.

The new set of guidelines states that tests for dengue and Japanese Encephalitis and other common illnesses must be accessible at the Primary Health Centres in addition to X-rays and ECG facilities.

The district-level hospitals must facilitate CT scan, MRI, mammography and echocardiography, according to the draft guidelines.

The ICMR released the first NEDL in 2019 to make diagnostics an essential component of the health care system.

In 2018, the World Health Organisation had recommended the development and implementation of an NEDL to facilitate the availability of in-vitro diagnostics across the various tiers of the healthcare pyramid, in facilities with or without an onsite laboratory.