Diagnostic test rates unregulated for 14 years, patients bear the cost in J&K

Srinagar, Jan 11: For the past 14 years, people in Jammu and Kashmir have been waiting for a standardised rate list for diagnostic tests at private laboratories. In the absence of fixed caps or minimum prices, patients continue to face unpredictable charges and concerns over quality, while locally based diagnostic centres struggle with growing uncertainty amid the mushrooming of collection counters run by out-of-state labs.

In 2012, the Health and Medical Education Department framed a standardised rate list for diagnostic tests in private laboratories with the aim of regulating prices, curbing overcharging and ensuring transparency for patients. However, the initiative got stalled due to litigation and was never implemented. Despite repeated demands from private diagnostic centres and their associations, and rising patient concerns, the rate list has remained pending for over a decade.

Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, saying uniform rates and standardisation of diagnostic centres are among the government’s priorities.

“Rates need to be uniform, diagnostic centres need to be standardised, and both are our focus points,” she said.

The Minister said that three meetings have been convened over the past year to address the matter and that all stakeholders are being taken on board. “A rate list that is patient-friendly and supportive of diagnostic centres will be issued soon,” she added.

She said that rate lists for diagnostic tests have already been issued for government hospitals, a step taken to ensure quality standards and patient-friendliness.

In the absence of regulation, patients often face wide variations in charges for the same tests, with routine investigations becoming a financial burden for many. Experts say the lack of pricing norms also raises questions about quality, as aggressive undercutting—often by labs operating remotely—may involve compromises in standards.

“Every test involves costs related to reagents, equipment and manpower. If these are not maintained at optimal standards, there is a real risk of inaccurate results and further health complications,” said the owner of a private diagnostic centre, requesting anonymity. He added that prices for identical biochemical, radiological, pathological and microbiological tests vary significantly across labs, sometimes delaying critical investigations.

A senior doctor said patients are also subjected to unnecessary tests under the guise of packages. “Often, uncalled-for investigations are carried out, forcing patients to pay more than what is clinically required,” he said.

Local diagnostic businesses say the situation has led to unfair competition and instability. Collection centres run by large national chains or out-of-state labs often undercut prices without bearing the full costs of local infrastructure, compliance or regulation. “Door-to-door sample collection and transportation are not monitored by any department, which raises serious concerns about reliability and quality,” said Rouf Rangrez, President of the Kashmir Private Diagnostic Centres Association.

He said many J&K-based labs have invested heavily in advanced technology and quality standards, but are being pushed to the brink by aggressive marketing and pricing by remote labs with unknown infrastructure.

Patients, meanwhile, say they feel powerless. “We usually come to know the actual cost only after the tests are done. There are hardly any rate lists displayed at labs,” said Mustafa Hussain, a resident of Habak, Srinagar.