National Reference Laboratories (NRL): Six NRLs under the programme:
1. National Institute for Research in TB, Chennai
2. National TB Institute (NTI), Bangalore
3. Lala Ram Swarup Institute of TB and Respiratory Ds, Delhi
4. JALMA Institute, Agra
5. Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhuvneshwar
6. Bhopal Memorial Hospital, Bhopal
Lab committee of the National labs supervises and directs the state level ‘Intermediate Reference Labs’
Intermediate Reference Lab (IRL): State Level
One IRL designated in State
Located in the State TB training and demonstration Centre (STDC)/ public health laboratory/medical college
Functions:
• Supervision and monitoring of EQA activities
• Mycobacterial culture and DST
• Drug resistance surveillance (DRS)
• IRL ensures proficiency of staff performing smear microscopy
• Train STLS
• On site evaluation in each district at tease once a year
The Microbiologist and all LTs of IRL are a team that supervises the District level TB centre
Designated Microscopy Centre (DMC):
It is the most peripheral lab under RNTCP
One DMC per 1 lac (50k in tribal and hilly areas)
The lab technician collects sputum, makes and stains smear and reports the microscopic findings
The Quality Assurance activities include:
• On – site evaluation
• Panel testing and
• Random blinded rechecking
