Kerala unveils Nirnaya, a state-wide lab testing network

Thiruvananthapuram: Health Minister Veena George inaugurated the diagnostic laboratory network (Hub and Spoke model) established by linking government sector laboratories to ensure comprehensive laboratory testing at the grassroots level.

The facilities and quality of government labs from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod have been enhanced, connecting them through the hub-and-spoke model. This enables people to access free or affordable testing near their homes. The Minister described Nirnaya as a revolutionary milestone in Kerala’s diagnostic history.

Laboratory testing has been classified into seven domains, basic lab tests, complex lab tests, AMR (antimicrobial resistance) surveillance, metabolic screening, TB and cancer screening, outbreak investigation tests, and infectious disease diagnosis and monitoring.

This system, which makes these services available to the public at the family health centre level, is the first of its kind in the country. About 1,300 laboratories under the state health department are currently part of the Nirnaya project. Among them, there are over 200 hub laboratories and around 1,100 spoke laboratories across various districts.

Test results are available through the Kerala government’s e-Health portal. Results can also be accessed via the portal, SMS, or the meHealth mobile app. The Indian Postal Service is collaborating with this project.

More complex tests are now possible at the level of family or primary health centres. Patients can undergo tests without having to visit distant hub laboratories directly. Tests are conducted adhering to standards and ensuring quality, allowing patients to get results at minimal cost. The test reports are made available in a timely manner at the spoke laboratory or health centre where the samples were submitted, and also sent via SMS to the verified registered mobile number provided during testing.

Nirnaya marks a crucial step towards achieving comprehensive healthcare coverage as envisioned under the Nava Kerala Mission and Aardram Mission.