The Chennai city corporation has privatized its four diagnostic laboratories, as it is unable to run these centres on a profitable basis.

Three of the corporation's diagnostic laboratories at Valluval Kottam near Kodambakkam, Perambur and Saidapet have been already handed over to the Chennai Scan, a leading private sector diagnostic laboratory in the city. Soon the corporation will invite tenders to hand over the fourth lab at Egmore to a competent agency, said sources.

These laboratories, aimed to offer diagnostic services like ECG, X-Ray CT, Ultra Sound Scan and blood tests to the public at subsidized rates, would continue to serve the purpose though with a low margin, clarified sources. The rates will be at least 15 to 40 per cent lower than the prevailing market rates in comparison to private sector diagnostic laboratories.

As per the new rates, master health check up will be offered at Rs.920, blood investigations like blood count, total count and differential count at Rs.28, platelet count at Rs.37 etc. An ultrasound test will cost only Rs.368 while the charge for a treadmill investigation will be Rs.552.

Sources said the new agency would have to drastically improve the facilities at some of the diagnostic laboratories, including infrastructure. Since the labs were not functioning properly due to various reasons like lack of adequate resources, work force and marketing, the city corporation had decided to privatise the labs a few months ago. Some of the labs were closed for the past few months, said sources.