Tests, Anyone?
On a Lighter Note: Of Hypochondriacs, Doctors, and Self-Driven Patients.
Hello everyone — and a warm welcome to new readers! This is the third post in the ‘On a Lighter Note’ series about healthcare in India.
The first covered pharmacies and pill-popping habits; the second explored visiting doctors (recently updated with fresh insights on payments and traditional practices, thanks to wonderful reader feedback).
Today, I cover diagnostics. Hope you like it!
Ever wanted to get yourself tested easily for random health markers from home — and have the reports emailed to you within hours?
Without paying a fortune?1
Welcome to the diagnostics paradise that is India.
Labs are everywhere, advertising directly to consumers.
Once known as Pathology Labs, they’ve rebranded to project a more modern, wellness-oriented image.
They offer all-inclusive health packages — from basic to advanced profiles — tailored separately for men and women.
Worried about your heart? Order a cardiac profile.
Want to check your liver and kidney function? Add them to the cart.
Throw in a thyroid and blood sugar test too.
Or choose from their pre-packaged lists of recommended tests.
Need to check inflammatory markers like C-Reactive Protein, kidney microalbumin? '
Or wish to order a full lipid profiles — HDL, LDL, VLDL, triglycerides — with a complete blood count?
No problem.
The best part?
The ‘medical technician’ comes home.
Yes — it’s especially convenient when you have to offer fasting samples. After 12 hours of fasting, navigating crowds at testing centres may not be ideal.
Pick a convenient time slot - from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. 2
Choose your lab3 — read up on their scientific methods: how quickly the sample reaches the lab, whether they have an onsite lab, and whether they use ice packs for storage during transport, and, of course, the accuracy of results.
Samples are collected at home, and PDF reports are emailed or WhatsApped within 6–12 hours — down from the earlier 24–48 hours.
Test results show with normal ranges, any outliers are flagged, and the reports are signed by a pathologist certifying the results.
Price?
$5 for basic tests and up to $100 for more comprehensive panels4, which often include an expanded range of health markers, as well as vitamin tests like B12, iron, and vitamin D.
There are also discounts for testing additional family members.
So, it’s easy to book once and have the entire family’s health tested in one shot.
Or you can sign up for annual health check-ups — organized by gender and age — at independent labs or local hospitals.
Visit in person or book their ‘Home Care’ service for at-home5 sample collection.
Pre-packaged based on what hospitals consider an adequate annual health check.
One recent anniversary offer was priced at Rs. 3,777 ($50) (below) with a doctor consultation, as well as diet and nutritional counseling if needed.
Diagnostic labs have always entertained patient orders independent of doctors’ advice—but over the last decade, consumer awareness, aggressive marketing, and convenience have transformed it into a thriving, profitable business.
At these prices, getting tested every three months — and going to see a doctor with your own reports — is agency!
Unless, of course, you’re dealing with doctors who generally dislike these self-testing rituals and the labs’ marketing tactics.
Being sought for consultations based on these reports irritates them no end.
One doctor was direct with a patient, "These labs have made a business of this - you don’t need any of these tests."
Another questioned a patient who had worried about a particular out-of-range number and rushed to consult a cardiologist, “Who asked you to test for this ?”
Turns out it was nothing.
The worry, the appointment, the wait — all for nothing. But hearing the doctor dismiss it — there’s nothing like the relief that follows.
Which would you prefer?
To test or not to test — that is the question.
A senior citizen was so anxious after suddenly becoming ill that, for three months after recovery, they repeatedly tested for lingering symptoms and returned to the doctor until finally told to stop wasting their time.
Another thing that annoys doctors no end is people arriving with a Google diagnosis.
Fearful, one approached the doctor’s private evening clinic, afraid of what they might hear.
“Doctor Saab6, is it……”?
"Who said?" asked the wizened old doctor angrily.
“I saw symptoms online.”
“Online, bah!”
“If online could heal people — nonsense.”
"Go home, you are fine. If anything, lose some weight," barked the family doctor.
The patient scurried home, happy but a little sheepish, with a humorous story to share with friends.
Such is the freedom of testing7 in India.
Soon, harried doctors may need to contend with genAI, not just Google.
Patients could pre-check with genAI and receive a soothing reply from a bot that explains what the doctor’s impatience never would—and repeats it endlessly until you're sick of it.
The bot? It will find yet another variation to spin the advice — so much so that, like the doctor, you are ready to shoo it away in the end.
Yet, despite all this easy access, not everyone is rushing to get tested.
Just like with pills, skepticism runs deep here too — many still avoid tests unless absolutely necessary: perhaps out of fear, apathy, or sheer sanguineness.
Which is why tech employers — worried about a rising prevalence of stress- and heart-related ailments among the 30-somethings — offer an annual health check.
Marketed as an "executive check-up," perhaps to recall that it was once a perk offered only to company executives of yore.
Covered by insurance. No surprise there — lowering risk for premiums is a driver everywhere.
So, some take advantage of the freebie.
Adoption rose further when the government stepped in to allow people to deduct their health checks — a tax-free allowance of Rs. 5,000 ($60) per person.
In general, tests today may be more driven by the upwardly mobile global Indian — fueled by internet news, fads, and, perhaps, the hypochondriacs.
For some, the freedom to test whenever they wish is a blessing; for others, it’s just another reason to worry.
What do you think?
Too much freedom?
Or just enough to drive you crazy?
Price is relative!
A new kid on the block claims they can come within 60 minutes of booking.
Some quality labs do advise you to consult a doctor first!
Some labs offer specialized tests: MRIs and complex heart scans start from $50-$120. Yes, they’re that low!
Machine-based tests included in the package usually require a second in-person visit.
Urdu. A shortened form of a more formal and respectful address equivalent to "Sahib," meaning "Sir" or "Mr."
Diagnostic testing is now a $14 billion industry (compared to the US’s ~$45 billion one) and even when adjusting for per capita spend, the growth is remarkable. If lab quality is questionable or the issue is serious, many prefer hospital-based diagnostics. But for regular three-month checks or annual health check-ups for ordinary reasons, private independent labs will do — as most are quality-controlled.
Impressively quick and affordable! I'm a "never-tester", but I can see where this would be an invaluable offering here in the States. So interesting! Thanks for the informative post, Jayshree!
Sounds like a great wallet-mining scheme to fleece hypochondriacs. This is capitalism writ large. I'd suggest equal parts of P.T. Barnum and Milton Friedman...."There's a sucker born every minute" & "Freedom to choose".