Last updated: 18 July 2026 · Effective: 18 July 2026
Global Diagnostic Laboratory ("GDL", "we", "our", "us") operates a network of diagnostic laboratories across Pakistan. We take the privacy of your health information seriously. This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, how we protect it, and the rights you have over your data.
1. Information we collect
To provide accurate diagnostic services, we collect the following types of information:
- Identity & contact information — name, age, sex, date of birth, CNIC, phone number, email, postal address.
- Health information — referring physician, clinical history, symptoms, prior diagnoses, current medications, allergies, and any other details relevant to test interpretation.
- Specimens & test results — blood, urine, stool, tissue, swabs, imaging, and any other biological sample you provide, plus the results derived from them.
- Financial information — payment method, billing receipts, and (for insurance/corporate billing) policy or employer details.
- Technical information — when you visit v.gdl.com.pk or this site, we may log IP address, device, browser, pages visited, and timestamps for security and analytics.
2. How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Perform the diagnostic tests you have requested, including quality control and method validation.
- Generate, verify, sign, and deliver your report (print, online, and via SMS/WhatsApp notification).
- Communicate critical or abnormal findings to you and/or your referring physician in a timely manner.
- Bill, collect payment, and maintain financial records as required by law.
- Operate, secure, and improve our laboratory information management system (powered by xMed EMR) and our online report portal.
- Comply with applicable law, regulatory audits (Pakistan Health Care Commission, NEQAS/RIQAS), and public-health reporting obligations.
- Conduct anonymised, aggregated analytics to improve our services. We do not use your data for advertising.
3. How we share your information
We do not sell your data. We share it only as follows:
- With your referring physician — so they can act on the results and continue your care.
- With you — via the report, the patient portal, and any SMS/WhatsApp notification you opted in to.
- With B2B partner labs — when a sample has been referred to us by a partner lab, the report goes back to that lab under your or your physician's request.
- With service providers — our EMR vendor, IT, courier, and payment processors, all bound by confidentiality obligations.
- With authorities — when required by a court order, public-health law, or to prevent a serious and imminent threat to life or health.
- With your consent — for any other purpose you've explicitly authorised (e.g. insurance submission).
4. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of your personal and health information we hold.
- Correct — ask us to correct information that's inaccurate or incomplete.
- Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting past processing.
- Request a copy of your report — free of charge, for as long as we hold the data.
- Raise a concern — with the Pakistan Health Care Commission if you believe we have mishandled your data.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@gdl.com.pk or visit any branch with your CNIC. We respond within 14 days.
5. Data security
We protect your information through administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, including:
- Role-based access controls on our LIMS (powered by xMed EMR) — only authorised lab staff and your physician see your results.
- Encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest on our servers.
- Audit logs for every access, edit, and report download.
- Secure physical storage of paper records in access-controlled facilities.
- Regular external quality assurance (NHS NEQAS, RIQAS, NEQAPP) and information-security reviews.
No system is 100% secure; if we become aware of a breach that materially affects your information, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.
6. Data retention
We retain health records for the period required by the Pakistan Health Care Commission and applicable tax/financial law (typically a minimum of 5 years for clinical records and 7 years for financial records, with longer retention for histopathology slides and blocks). After that, records are securely destroyed or anonymised.
7. Cookies & online portal
The online report portal at v.gdl.com.pk may use cookies or local storage to keep you signed in and to remember your preferences. This site (www.gdl.com.pk) may use minimal, anonymised analytics to understand which tests and pages are most useful. You can disable cookies in your browser; some portal features may then not work.
8. Children's privacy
We provide diagnostic services to patients of all ages. For minors, a parent or legal guardian provides the information and consents on the child's behalf. We do not knowingly collect information directly from children under 13 for marketing purposes.
9. International transfers
Some of our service providers (such as cloud hosting) may process data outside Pakistan. Where this happens, we ensure equivalent safeguards are in place, consistent with applicable law.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be highlighted on this page with a new "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we may also notify patients via SMS, WhatsApp, or email.
11. Contact & complaints
For any privacy question, to exercise your rights, or to file a complaint, contact our Data Protection Officer:
Data Protection Officer
Global Diagnostic Laboratory
462-A Shadman 1, Opp. FMH Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: +92 42 35406977
WhatsApp: +92 321 4236581
Email: privacy@gdl.com.pk
If you're not satisfied with our response, you may also contact the Pakistan Health Care Commission.
This policy is published by Global Diagnostic Laboratory, License #2051912183. Last updated 18 July 2026.