Pathway · Diagnostics
A result is only useful if somebody reads it.
Anyone can run a test. The part that changes your treatment is a clinician who knows your history looking at the number, comparing it with the last one, and acting on it the same day. Because the laboratory and the clinics are the same institution, that is the normal course of events here rather than a favour.
What can be done here
- Laboratory, around the clock: full blood count, malaria parasites, genotype, blood group, kidney and liver function, lipids, thyroid, HbA1c.
- Infection screening: HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, urine and stool microscopy, culture and sensitivity.
- Imaging: CT scanning, X-ray and ultrasound, including 3D/4D and obstetric scanning.
- Cardiac: ECG, read by a cardiologist. Echocardiography and stress testing run at CardioCare in the same group.
- Pre-employment and pre-marital panels, priced as packages on the health checks page.
- Histology and cytology, including samples taken in theatre. All of it is done inside the Limi network rather than sent out.
How results reach you
Results go onto your record as they come in, so the doctor seeing you can open them without you carrying anything. You can also be sent a copy, and you are entitled to one whether or not you were referred by us.
Turnaround depends on the test. Same-visit results are normal for the common bloods and for imaging; cultures need days because bacteria need days to grow.Ask us on WhatsApp
Bring a request form, or come without one
If another hospital or a company doctor has given you a form, bring it and we will run exactly what is on it. If you have no form and are not sure what you need, book a short consultation first. Tests ordered at random cost money and rarely answer the question you actually have.
Reading a result you are worried about
A single abnormal number is usually not the emergency it looks like. Values drift with hydration, time of day, recent food, pregnancy and the medicines you are already on. Bring the result to somebody who can see it next to your history rather than searching the number on your phone at midnight.
Two results are worth knowing about before you see them. The Widal test, still widely used for typhoid, produces a great many false positives and should not on its own start a course of antibiotics. And a genotype result is the one test whose implications reach beyond you, which is why we go through it in person rather than sending a number.
Common questions
Do I need to fast?
For fasting glucose and a lipid profile, yes, usually eight to ten hours with water allowed. For most other tests, no. Ask when you book so you do not make a wasted journey.
Can I get a test without seeing a doctor?
Yes, for the screening packages and for anything on a request form you already have. For symptoms, a consultation first usually costs less overall than a scattergun panel.
Will you accept a result from another laboratory?
Usually yes, and you should always bring what you have. Some results are repeated where the timing matters or the method differs, and you will be told why before it is done.
Is the scan safe in pregnancy?
Ultrasound is. CT uses ionising radiation and is avoided in pregnancy unless the reason is compelling, in which case it is discussed with you first. Tell the radiographer if there is any chance you are pregnant.
Does my HMO cover diagnostics?
Most plans cover investigations that have been requested by a doctor, often needing an authorisation code. Confirm your plan with us before the test.
What this feeds into.
Health checks & screening
Twenty-nine packages, priced on the page.
See pricesSafe Motherhood
Obstetric imaging and antenatal screening.
See the pathwaySurgery with a System
The assessment an operation depends on.
See the pathwayAsk a question
Including what a result of yours means.
Open the question bankBring a request form, or ask us which test you need.
If this is an emergency, do not message or book — come straight in, or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not drive yourself. Call +234 809 016 0175.