The Panacea Hospital has received certification from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) for its diagnostic laboratory. With this, Panacea Diagnostic Laboratory, an integral unit of Panacea Hospital, is the only third such diagnostic centre in Karnataka to be certified by the NABH. The two others are Sugana Hospital Laboratory and Yashomati Hospitals Laboratory.

According to the healthcare provider, the NABH certification is an important achievement as it is embarking on an expansion plan spread across the next 5 years in Karnataka. With the Hospital intending to set up satellite healthcare centres and specialty hospitals, the NABH-certified diagnostic laboratory is a significant step in that direction.

“A certification by NABH for a diagnostic laboratory means top quality service, accuracy in medical tests and error-free results. We aimed for this certification because this places Panacea among the few hospitals to have an in-house diagnostic laboratory, which is certified by the highest authority of the country. We intend to maximize this  benefit,” said Dr. C. Jayanna, chairman & managing director, Panacea Hospitals.

A certification by NABH, a constituent board of Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organisations, entails strict compliance of rules, regulations and standards set by it. The certificate is issued only after inspections and visits by the NABH officials.

The laboratory disciplines covered under the certification are clinical biochemistry, pathology, and microbiology, said Dr. Vivek Hittinahalli, HOD & consultant microbiology, Panacea Diagnostic Laboratory.

The Hospital specializes in cardiac care, orthopaedics, neurology, urology, gastroenterology and obstetrics & gynaecology, apart from general medicine.