Dr Arvind Lal
Chairman and MD, Dr Lal Pathlabs
Brig. Arvind Lal is a pioneer in bringing laboratory services in India at par with the Western world. He is an alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, having received his graduate and post-graduate medical degrees from the prestigious institute.
In 1977, Brig. Lal took charge of Dr Lal PathLabs, the medical diagnostics laboratory founded in 1949 by his late father. Under his expert guidance and leadership, Dr Lal PathLabs (LPL) has become one of the most reputed laboratories in Asia having to its credit a record of 27 labs accredited from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India) with another 10 labs in the pipeline. He brought International recognition to the Indian Healthcare Industry in the form of accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP – USA). Currently they operate over 160 labs, including Asia’s biggest lab at Rohini, New Delhi with 1600 collection centres all over India. The lab tests over 42,000 patients every day or nearly 10 million patients in a year.
Dr. Lal has revolutionized laboratory medicine by introducing the maximum number of new tests, instruments and ICT (Information, Communications, Technology) systems in India. His R & D unit has done India proud by developing the latest tests in Molecular Diagnostics. The aim of the R&D division is to provide highly specialized tests at low cost to the weaker sections of the society.
Dr. Lal is a member of many expert and advisory bodies constituted by the central and the state governments. He is accredited to having the first PPP (Public Private Partnership) in the field of laboratory testing with the Govt. of Tripura since 2004 and later with Govt. of Gujarat for testing over 30,000 new born babies between 2011-2013.
He is currently the Secretary of the newly formed NATHEALTH, Healthcare Federation of India, an association of eminent Healthcare stakeholders on the lines of NASSCOM and is the Founder Treasurer of the same organization. He is also the former Chairman of the Healthcare Committee of the PHD Chamber Commerce. He is also the Chief of the Academic Council of IIHMR (International Institute of Health Management Research), New Delhi. Dr. Lal is also an active member of National Healthcare Committees of CII, FICCI & ASSOCCHAM and has played a significant role in promoting the Indian Healthcare sector abroad. He is also leading the Healthcare Sector Skill Council Curriculum Development Committee for Medical Laboratory Technicians.
Dr. Lal was appointed as the Honorary Physician to the President of India in 2001. He has also been serving as a pathologist to almost all the present and past Presidents’ and Prime Ministers of India. His laboratory is the nodal laboratory testing the largest number of government employees in India from CGHS, ECHS, Ministry of Railways, Delhi Government and many others. He was also invited as the Keynote Speaker to address the MBA students at IIM- Ahmedabad.
Conferred with the Padma Shri, Brig. Lal is also the first civilian doctor to be granted an honorary Brigadier’s rank in Armed Forces Medical Services. He is also the recipient of many other awards from various national and international organizations.
