Lok Sabha Question No. 883 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Financial Burden of Pathological Tests on the Poor
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Giridhari Yadav

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 883 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2025

## FINANCIALBURDEN OF PATHOLOGICALTESTS ON THE POOR

## † 883 SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV:

Will the Minister of HEALTH & FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that since the outbreak of Covid-19 in the year 2020, patients are forced to undergo pathological tests related to Corona and other viruses in collusion with doctors, hospitals and diagnostic centers and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is a fact that due to the lack of standard rates for different tests, the poor are forced to get themselves tested for survival even after cutting their essential needs, due to which their financial condition deteriorates and sometimes leading to drowning in debt and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether the Government propose to prescribe a standard rate in the country for all pathological tests and if so, the time by which it is likely to be done and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (c): 'Health' is a State subject, and it is the State/Union Territory (UT) Government's responsibility to regulate pathological laboratories in their territorial jurisdiction including testing charges that patients have to pay in private health facilities.

Government of India on its part has enacted the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 (CEA) and notified Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012 to register and regulate clinical establishments, including the diagnostic laboratories.

Under the above-mentioned Act, the clinical establishments are also required to follow Standard Treatment Guidelines issued by the Central/State Governments and charge rates for each type of procedure and service within the range of rates determined from time to time. The National Council for Clinical Establishments has approved a standard list of medical procedures and a standard template for costing medical procedures and shared the same with the States and Union

Territories. Further action lies within the purview of the State/UT Governments. The implementation and enforcement of the said Act falls within the ambit of the State/UT Governments.

Under National Health Mission (NHM), Government of India has launched 'Free diagnostics Service Initiative' in 2015. The purpose of this initiative is to provide an expanded range of accessible and affordable pathological and radiological diagnostics services closer to the community free of cost at all levels of public health facilities thereby reducing out of pocket expenditure incurred by patients.

Further, under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) a health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization is provided to beneficiaries. Under the scheme, to ensure that the hospitals do not overcharge and rates do not vary across hospitals, empanelled health care providers are paid based on specified package rates, which includes charges for pathology and radiology tests.

*****