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Parliamentary panel recommends mandatory kidney tests from age 20
A parliamentary committee has recommended that everyone aged 20 and above undergo a free or nominal-cost kidney function test (KFT) every six months, and high-risk individuals be screened annually for chronic kidney…
The Story in Brief
A parliamentary committee has recommended that everyone aged 20 and above undergo a free or nominal-cost kidney function test (KFT) every six months, and high-risk individuals be screened annually for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, chaired by Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, MP, submitted 66 recommendations in its 177th report tabled in Parliament on August 7.
The panel wants every serum creatinine test in public and private labs to automatically include an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) report at no extra cost. It cited a pooled CKD prevalence of 13.24% in India and stressed shifting policy from treating advanced kidney failure to prevention and early detection. The report also flagged CKD of unknown etiology among agricultural workers, linking it to heat stress, dehydration and pesticide exposure.
The Indian Opinion
The panel targets a real gap: CKD often stays silent until kidneys are badly damaged. But mandatory biannual testing for every adult above 20 sounds ambitious for a system where even basic screenings miss millions. The real test is whether labs can automate eGFR reporting without crashing into costs or resistance. Watch how states implement the free-test promise for BPL patients and whether the proposed National Renal Registry gets off the ground within a year.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, health.economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
