How did SRL Diagnostics ensure timely availability of lab reports during covid?

There were a lot of disruptions in the supply chain, as 85% of the input material used in our laboratories are imported. We faced a lot of challenges in shortage of kits, reagents and chemicals, and scarcity of skilled staff. We streamlined how to source different vendors and tied up with educational institutions to recruit more skilled manpower. We recruited more than 200 inside the lab technicians and close to 350 phlebotomists who go to collect samples. We had only two molecular biology labs doing covid-19 RT-PCR testing, which we scaled up to 25 RT-PCR labs.

Do you have any plans for expansion this year?

Currently, we are 400-plus laboratories across 30 states, of which 46 are NABL-accredited. We are equally distributed across geographies. We use a hub-and-spoke model, wherein we use stat labs as well as collection centres. We are constantly expanding our sample collection centre network and they are linked to labs. Currently, we have 3,000 such centres, and aim to add 70-80 touch points every month. We have also identified some focus clusters where we need to expand our reach. These are Mumbai-Maharashtra, UP, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. So, we are looking for active opportunities whether we can do a greenfield project or we can do acquisitions. If there are some labs which are strategic fit for us, we can acquire those and integrate with our network. We are in discussions with 10 labs for integration.

What changes have you seen in people after covid?

Our routine business has started picking up. People have also become aware now. They know what is NABL accreditation, what is ICMR and what is the standard of safety and hygiene at laboratories. So, awareness of safety and quality is high now. Earlier, this awareness was not there.

Is SRL Diagnostics part of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)?

We have been part of ABDM from the beginning. Close to our 200 laboratories are registered on the ABDM platform as healthcare providers, which means that we are able to not only access the data of the patient with their consent, also whatever results we produce from these 200 labs, patients can easily access their reports through their ABHA ID. Patients can also share their reports with healthcare providers by sharing their ABHA ID. So, this kind of interoperability will remove all kinds of duplicity in the system. That’s how we get structured data; and if we need to do population-based study, this will help us. We are also encouraging our patients to move into this network as it has long-term benefits.

What new investigations do you plan to the testing menu?

Precision diagnostics, genomic or next generation diagnostics is very important, and we are building our capability in these aspects, adding a lot of tests in this range in the field of reproductive medicine, oncology, renal related disorders, rare diseases and some of the screening tests of sickle cell anaemia, newborn screening and thalassemia, etc. We have been launching these tests at a very quick rate and in the last few months, we have added more than 50 new tests in our bucket.