Glossary term · Accreditation & quality
NABL accreditation (also: National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories): NABL accreditation confirms that an Indian laboratory meets international standards for its stated tests; medical testing laboratories are accredited against ISO 15189.
NABL accreditation tells you a laboratory has been assessed for the specific tests listed in its scope. NABL is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India. For medical laboratories it uses ISO 15189. If your blood tests, biopsies or genetic tests are done in India, an NABL-accredited lab gives the treating team and your doctor at home more confidence in the result.
What does NABL accredit?
NABL accredits testing, calibration and medical laboratories, proficiency testing providers, reference material producers and biobanks. Medical testing labs are assessed against ISO 15189. NABL operates in line with ISO/IEC 17011 and is a mutual recognition signatory with APAC, which helps accredited results gain acceptance abroad.
How do I check a lab?
- Use ‘Find an NABL accredited Lab’ or ‘Verify Certificate’ on nabl-india.org.
- Check that your test is inside the lab’s accredited scope. Accreditation is test by test.
- Check the address. The accredited site should be where the sample was tested.
- Check that the certificate was valid on the date of your test.
Why does this matter for a transplant or cancer case?
Some steps depend heavily on lab results. Under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules 2014, DNA profiling to establish a donor relationship must be done in a laboratory accredited by the National Accreditation Board. Hospitals usually choose the lab, but you can ask which one it is.
Practical tip
When you send old reports for a case review, include the lab name and accreditation number if it is printed. It helps the specialist judge whether a test needs repeating.
Questions people ask
Is NABL the same as NABH?
No. Both are boards of the Quality Council of India. NABH accredits hospitals and healthcare providers. NABL accredits laboratories for specific tests. A hospital may hold NABH accreditation and use an in-house or outside lab that holds NABL accreditation.
Will Indian hospitals accept my home-country lab reports?
Often they review them, but the treating specialist decides whether tests need repeating in India. Recent reports from an accredited lab are more likely to be used. Ask before you travel so that you can plan time for any repeat tests.
Sources
- NABL: National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories
- Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules 2014 (text via LegitQuest)
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. How we write and check.