Delhi Plans Hepatitis Tests on 85 Existing TB Machines

Delhi plans to repurpose 85 existing tuberculosis-testing machines for hepatitis B and C diagnosis. Technicians will receive training and incentives to perform the extra tests. The plan puts current public health equipment to work across disease programmes; it doesn’t include a stated purchase of new machines.

Existing Equipment, New Tests

The machines operate under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP). For the 2026-27 financial year, the Delhi government has sought 2,500 Truenat testing chips for hepatitis B and another 2,500 for hepatitis C. According to the government statement, the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme's central unit indicated that the Centre would procure the chips centrally.

Truenat platforms are portable molecular diagnostic machines. They use polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based tests to detect infections, including tuberculosis, by identifying genetic material in patient samples. Viral-load tests measure the amount of virus in a patient's blood and help assess the infection.

Under the proposal, the government would initially assign one Truenat platform per district for viral-load testing. Those tests would serve patients who have tested positive for hepatitis B or C. The district-level plan depends on approval from the NTEP State Programme Officer and operational planning, the statement said.

The 85 machines already form part of programme infrastructure; the proposal would expand their use to hepatitis testing. The source gives no price for the requested chips and doesn’t state the cost of running the machines for the additional tests. It also offers no estimate of how many patients the arrangement could serve.

Technicians and Operating Hours

Depending on workload and operational requirements, the government plans to run the machines beyond regular working hours and on holidays. Technicians will get training and incentives to conduct the tests, the statement said. It doesn’t specify how many technicians will take part, the incentive amounts, or how officials would allocate additional hours.

Staffing and machine availability are therefore part of the testing plan. The statement describes extended operation and incentives, but gives no further details about technicians’ schedules or the working conditions tied to their extra duties.

The initiative aims to improve access to testing and strengthen coordination between national health programmes, the official statement issued on Friday said. For 2026-27, the Delhi government submitted its chip request to the Central Programme Division. The central unit indicated that the Centre would procure the chips, placing supply within the national programme arrangement, but the statement gives no procurement timetable.

Screening Plan and Government Role

Delhi's broader screening plan also includes portable X-ray facilities. It gives special focus to women, particularly pregnant women, to help identify health conditions that need further investigation. The statement doesn’t specify where those facilities would operate, their scale, or a timetable.

Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the government was focusing on strengthening diagnostic services by making optimal use of existing health-care infrastructure and improving access to timely hepatitis B and C testing. The proposed district arrangement still depends on the required approval and operational planning, the statement said.

The account describes a government plan that relies on existing machines, centrally procured testing chips, and technicians taking on additional testing work. It reports no union response, patient numbers, programme budget, or projected testing capacity. The statement provides none of those details alongside the proposal to expand hepatitis testing through the tuberculosis programme.