Dr. Lal PathLabs Pvt. Ltd. (LPL), a centre of innovation, is the premier clinical pathology laboratory in India with the best international standards. It is known for pioneering the introduction of new tests, maximizing the quality of testing with state of the art technology and transferring academic knowledge to the entire medical fraternity. Founded in 1949 by the late Dr. (Maj) S. K. Lal, a pioneer in the field of pathology, who had been trained in the Army and later at the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, USA, the laboratory with its humble beginnings, provided high quality routine services to the masses. It became the first private pathology laboratory of repute in Delhi and Northern India

The present Managing Director, Dr. Arvind Lal, a post-graduate from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, took over the reins of the laboratory in 1977. His mission has been to provide the best laboratory services to patients in India at the most economical costs. He embarked upon a modernisation programme keeping in view the rapid global advancements in the field of laboratory medicine. Constant upgradation of equipment, introduction of newer diagnostic parameters, automation and strict quality assurance were the hallmarks of his able guidance. Today, LPL is proud to be the most reputed centre for laboratory services. Asiatic Research, an independent laboratory survey organisation based in San Francisco, California, USA, in its 1990 and 1995 five yearly reports, has ranked it as the number one laboratory in India.

Honoured by the then Prime Minister of India for meritorious services in 1979, the laboratory was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Embassy of the United States of America in 1985, in recognition of rendering excellent services to its staff and immigration section. In 1988 it was selected by the Government of France to train French laboratory technologists during the scientific exchange programme, under the auspices of the Festival of France in India. Commencing June 1994, the University of Delhi has been sending post-graduate science students for training at LPL. The prestigious Shiromani Award for Excellence for 1993 was awarded to Dr. Vandana Lal, Director, for her outstanding contribution in the field of pathology.

The services of LPL are utilised by most of the prestigious medical institutions across the country. It is a matter of pride that the laboratory has been providing its services to present and past Presidents and Prime Ministers of India. Dr. Arvind Lal was honoured with the appointment of serving as Honorary Physician to the President of India in October 2001. The Laboratory also provides its services to members of the Union and State Cabinets, several foreign missions, South-East Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) and a host of others. Many a post-doctoral thesis and dissertation has been prepared utilising its services, and it has undertaken research projects for a number of medical institutions and the pharmaceutical industry. Often, services are rendered to the financially weaker sections of society from government hospitals. LPL thus caters to the entire cross section of the countrys population.

LPL provides under one roof, the widest range of laboratory test parameters, covering the disciplines of Endocrinology, Genetics, Nutrition and Metabolism, Oncology, Toxicology, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Biochemistry, Haematology, Immunohistochemistry, Histopathology, Cytology and Immunopathology. The specialised disciplines include Cytogenetics, Flowcytometry, Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectrometry, Molecular Diagnostics (Polymerase Chain Reaction and Branched DNA tests). The reference and research laboratory has been set up in Okhla, New Delhi, to conduct these highly specialised tests.

The laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art instruments. To operate these sophisticated gadgets, the laboratories have an efficient, knowledgeable, qualified and dedicated staff of eleven Pathologists and Microbiologists, 17 Ph.D/M.Sc scientists, 80 trained medical laboratory technologists and over 90 supporting personnel. This highly motivated technical staff team at LPL is constantly involved in producing world-class results and upholding quality assurance. Besides its internal quality control exercises, LPL participates in national and international external quality assurance programmes such as RCPA (Royal College of Pathologists Australia), CAP (College of American Pathologists), AIIMS and IAPM ( Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists). The laboratory is also approved for special tests by the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

In order to bring LPLs professional services to the patients doorstep, 55 sample collection centres and several pick-up points have been set up all over Delhi and its surrounding areas. To extend its services to other towns, and to neighbouring countries, more than 210 such centres have been created. Thus LPL caters to over two thousand patients each day.

LPL gives detailed interpretations of the tests in its reports for better understanding and patient management. Majority of the test results including specialised tests are reported the same day and are routinely delivered electronically and via Internet to any part of India. Patient preparation, test queries and interpretive consultation is provided by experts over the telephone and via facsimile.

Through the LPLs Quality policies and principles the Quality Assurance Department actively monitors Quality performance indicators for the entire process of laboratory Services and performance. Our entire staff is dedicated to our Quality Management system and all employees augment their proficiency in specified job responsibilities with extensive quality training. The commitment to Quality is demonstrated by the fact that in July 2000 LPL was the first Indian Laboratory to be accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. The widest test menu offered by any laboratory in the country was accredited. Achievement of ISO 9001:2000, an internationally recognised quality management standard accorded in September, 2001 was an additional feather in the cap of LPL.The latest landmark in the pursuit of quality improvement has been the accreditation by the prestigious College of American Pathologists (CAP). LPL is the first Indian laboratory to be accredited by CAP in September 2002 for the widest disciplines offered in Laboratory Medicine.

In the recent past, many sophisticated and rare investigations could not be made available to our doctors and their patients because of various reasons. In 1995, therefore, LPL coordinated with CORNING Nichols Institute, California, USA (now known as Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, USA) for carrying out these investigations. Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute is an esoteric laboratory for highly specialised investigations not available in any other laboratory, even in the USA. Over the years they have pioneered development of several assays which have finally found their way into the modem physicians tool kit. Once again, LPL started a new trend, of dispatching rare test samples to the United States, without the Indian patient having to step out of the country.

LPL also offers its facilities and services to conduct Clinical Trials for Multinational, Pharmaceutical and Chemical industries. A large number of Trials have been conducted successfully for over 20 such Multinational companies. This has greatly helped in the introduction of newer drugs in the Pharmaceutical industry.