India's Focus On Medical Diagnostic Laboratories: Indian Planning and Programmes

Healthy lives and well being for all is one of the goals in Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDG) that is strongly dependent on a nation?s healthcare system. In any modern healthcare system, laboratory diagnostics play a crucial role for effective system?s functioning as it helps in evidence based decision-making but the focus on laboratory diagnostics system is inadequate especially nationally. However, globally and nationally problems in laboratory diagnostic systems have been raised, but more focus is demanded. This study focuses on understanding the government past Five-yearhealth plans and current national health programmes to understand the focus given to the laboratory systems both historically and in present. This will allow in filling the gap of linking the current status of laboratory systems with the historical approaches of India. This linkage will enable a more comprehensive understanding of the India?s current state of laboratory diagnostic system and will help current and future planners and decision makers like Niti Aayog in better decision-making.The study performed two phases of inductive approach based content analysis. The first phase is involved in the analysis of the Five-Year health plans for understanding the focus areas in health sector over the years. Second Phase is involved in the analysis of major health programmes for understanding the current focus areas of medical diagnostic laboratory system in the health sector. The study has found that laboratory diagnostics was given focus in the various health plans but the scope and the depth of discussion was very limited. Further, the focus on laboratory diagnostic systems and its various components is found to be variable among all major national health programmes and very limited. The study concludes that the India?s focus on the laboratory diagnostic system is very limited and inadequate.