Health Activists Oppose Outsourcing of Diagnostic Tests to Private Labs in Rajasthan

In Rajasthan, health activists and civil society groups have raised serious objections to the state government’s recent decision to outsource diagnostic tests to private laboratories. The objection comes after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in August, which proposes that a wide range of diagnostic services be run through private firms under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Critics argue that previous collaborations of this kind have compromised the quality, affordability, and accountability of essential health services. They contend that private labs tend to prioritize profit, which may lead to inflated costs for patients and reduced oversight. One activist, Chhaya Pachauli from Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, pointed out that several rural areas lack proper equipment and trained personnel in public health centres, and outsourcing could worsen these gaps rather than solve them. Under the planned hub-and-spoke model, the initiative is to cover 145 types of tests, and will connect 42 mother labs, 135 hub labs, and 1,335 spoke units across districts, sub-districts, community health centres, and primary health units. The health department argues this setup will improve access to diagnostics and reduce the turnaround time for tests, especially in remote areas. However, concerns raised by activists include the reliability of private labs, differences in standards, potential delays in reporting, and dependence on online management systems (LIMS). Moreover, previous instances of privatization have led to issues in sample handling, report accuracy, and transparency. Activists are demanding that the state strengthen its public infrastructure and ensure that private labs are held to strict accountability standards. Government officials defending the move say that the MoU stipulates that the diagnostic equipment used must be USFDA and CE certified. They also emphasize that the arrangement is designed to ease the load on overworked public labs, and that the government will monitor performance through oversight mechanisms. As the debate continues, many eyes in Rajasthan are on how quickly the new system can be implemented and whether it will indeed help improve diagnostic access and reduce cost burdens for patients. Activists are pushing for more transparency in contracts, clear grievance redressal, and protection of patient interests.