Kerala to have hub-and-spoke model diagnostic labs network

The Health department is bringing together and connecting all the government laboratories across Kerala in a single diagnostic network, Nirnaya, which will function as a hub-and-spoke model so that comprehensive diagnostic services are delivered at the grassroots level.

The Nirnaya diagnostic services network was inaugurated by Health Minister Veena George here on Thursday.

The facilities in the government labs from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram and the services provided by these labs have been improved and interconnected in a hub-and-spoke model. This would enable citizens to access diagnostic tests either free of cost or at affordable rates, from the nearest lab in their locality.

Ms. George described Nirnaya as a revolutionary step in Kerala’s diagnostic health-care history.

Seven categories

Laboratory services have been categorised under seven domains—basic lab tests, advanced lab tests, AMR (antimicrobial resistance) surveillance, metabolic screening, TB and cancer screening, outbreak investigation, and infectious disease diagnosis and monitoring.

Through the Nirnaya network, all these lab services will now be available at the level of Family Health Centres, making Kerala the first State in the country to implement such an extensive diagnostic services network, Ms. George claimed.

At present, around 1,300 laboratories under the Health department are part of the Nirnaya project. These include over 200 ‘hub’ labs and around 1,100 ‘spoke’ labs across various districts.

Test results are accessible through the State government’s e-Health portal, via SMS, and on the meHealth mobile app. The Health department is joining hands with India Post service in implementing this project.

Even advanced tests can now be done at the level of Family Health Centres and Primary Health Centres, without patients having to travel to distant hub labs. Patients can thus avail themselves of high-quality diagnostic services at minimal cost, while ensuring adherence to quality standards.

Results are delivered promptly at the same health centres where the samples were collected and simultaneously sent via verified registered mobile numbers as SMS alerts.

The system enables timely treatment based on accurate diagnostic results, thereby reducing patients’ out-of-pocket costs. Nirnaya marks a crucial milestone in realising comprehensive health coverage envisioned under the Nava Kerala Mission and the Aardram Mission, Ms. George said.