Amid reports of several scams coming to light during the pandemic, the Maharashtra government has decided to formulate stringent laws to regulate operations of path labs.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday, March 8, took cognisance of “unscrupulous pathology labs” across Mumbai region and state.
In order to fix responsibility and stringent punishment for such operators, Tope said that a law is expected to be enforced soon under Bombay Nursing Homes Registrations Act.
For this, an 18-member committee will review the issue and submit a report in three months. The panel was set up following allegations of pathology labs flouting rules, not having registered practitioners or MD to sign lab reports, and having outdated equipment.
The government will bring an amendment to this Act to ensure that there is a law to regulate functioning of pathology labs and plan to do this in two months, he added.
He also mentioned that that the state will make it mandatory for para-medical staff to be registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council. The equipment in any lab for normal blood tests or advanced tests for cancer or histopathology needs to have proper calibration and cannot be outdated. Rates of pathology labs will also be reviewed.
According to reports, this issue was raised by the Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande two years ago demanding a statement on stern action against offenders. She also pointed out that there were 8,000 illegal path labs in the state and over 1,500 flourishing in Mumbai and neighbouring areas.
Kayande further shared that there was an increase in “bogus” pathology labs in the state, especially during the peak of COVID-19. Registrations of many labs were cancelled when they were found flouting rules, but this has not proved to be a deterrent.
Many labs are functioning without registered practitioners, technicians and experts and this was dangerous as it involved the lives of people, she expressed.
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