The concept of defining ‘Essential Services Package (ESP)’ as
a means to standardize and operationalise health care delivery
in the health system is an important feature to improve the quality
of medical provision especially in developing countries.
ESP incorporates existing service standards and integrates activities
that have been so far executed as vertical programmes. ESP can be a
milestone towards defining a standard list of health services at a given
service delivery level, and thus creating a single, consistent and realistic
services package for a given health system or a part of it.

Often the range and quality of laboratory services provided in district
hospitals vary greatly. ESP developed for a medical laboratory in a
district hospital of a developing country will ensure standardised
laboratory diagnostic for the patients without unnecessary lost of
financial resources. Similarly development of an ESP helps to
minimise these differences and to improve the overall performance of
these laboratories.

The ESP defines a standard set of laboratory tests, including related
procedures for purchase and storage of reagents  and of quality control
materials, maintenance of laboratory equipment and analysers, and regular
updating of standard processes and quality control measures. The standard
set is limited to tests that can be performed easily and reliably under all
conditions. It helps to employ available personnel and budgetary resources in
the most cost effective way while at the same time providing the best
services to the hospital. The ESP for laboratories is realistic because it
builds on existing standards and services and focuses on basic clinical
needs, thereby avoiding unnecessary laboratory services that are of little or
no benefit to the patient but put a burden on hospital finances.