Malaria diagnosis in private laboratories of Surat city: a laboratory based study.

Surat city is known world over for its glorious trade and commerce activities. Because of the migratory population in this city, malaria continues to be a major public health problem. There are urban health centres equipped with laboratory services and mobile units, which are providing free laboratory services to the community for the diagnosis of malaria. Apart from the urban health centres, there are private pathologists and self-employed technicians who are also providing laboratory services to the community. The present study was done during 1999–2000. Main aim of the study was to evaluate the technical skills of microscopists working under private pathologists, microbiologists and self-employed technicians in conventional microscopy and to know their knowledge about new methods in malaria diagnosis.