Today, On 9th July, The Maharashtra government preparing to introduce new legislation aimed at cracking down on bogus pathology labs. This move is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to ensure the quality and reliability of medical diagnostics. The new law will impose strict regulations and penalties on unauthorized labs operating without proper accreditation, ensuring that only certified labs can provide pathology services.
Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Higher and Technical Education Minister, Uday Samant, announced on Tuesday that the state government formulated a draft law aimed at cracking down on fraudulent pathology labs.
Speaking during the Question Hour in the state assembly, Samant explained that the proposed legislation would include stringent rules and regulations, along with the formation of flying squads to enforce compliance.
He stated,
“Unregistered pathology laboratories will not be allowed to operate,”
This issue, Samant noted, involves the urban development, public health, and medical education departments.
BJP MLA Ashish Shelar criticized the proliferation of fraudulent pathology labs, stating,
“They were exploiting people financially and endangering lives. “
He emphasized the need for registering numerous collection centers that have emerged over time and called for criminal charges against those operating unlawfully. NCP (SP) legislator Rajesh Tope suggested amending the Nursing Home Act if the state government could not expedite the implementation of a new law.
In response, the minister indicated that the draft of the new legislation prepared and that the Nursing Home Act would be amended if necessary.
Yogesh Sagar of the BJP highlighted the importance of pathology as a foundation for any surgical procedure and pointed out that the poor often resort to unlicensed labs for testing.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ajay Choudhary accused these fraudulent labs of colluding with government hospitals. The discussion initiated by a question from BJP legislator Sunil Rane, who requested data on the number of pathology labs in Mumbai. Rane expressed astonishment at the government’s response, revealing that under the current regulations of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act 1888, there is no provision for the registration of pathology labs.
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Rane highlighted the necessity for a Fire NOC, certification from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, certification for good clinical practices, and registration for bio-medical waste disposal.
The minister further mentioned that since 2019, the Maharashtra Paramedical Council authorized 7,085 candidates to operate pathology labs, with 182 of these located in Mumbai. Additionally, there were 197 labs in civic-run hospitals in Mumbai.