Delhi HC: Petition filed against unauthorised pathological, diagnostic labs

New Delhi [India], Sept 3 (ANI): A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking close down of all unauthorised pathological and diagnostic laboratories being run by unqualified lab technicians. The court will hear the PIL tomorrow.

Petition also seeks direction to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government to formulate a robust policy in the interest of patients for regulating the functioning and opening of pathological laboratories in the national capital. It also demands to constitute appropriate authority for regular checking of such laboratories or issue a direction for implementation of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation Act) 2010 in Delhi.

The petition mentioned that there are many illegal and unauthorised pathological and diagnostic labs in every nook and corner of Delhi that are operated by unqualified and irregular lab technicians, who are neither registered technicians nor have any required degree for managing the labs.

These people are not only conducting the various tests, but are also providing inferences based on unscientific and unqualified outcomes, which undermine the health and safety of the patients, the PIL stated. It is further submitted that even a small error in the diagnosis could lead to the threat of life and irrational treatment given to the patients.

The petition further claims that the Delhi government has no proper mechanism or strategy to stop the mushrooming of such illegal labs. It is further submitted that National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a national accreditation board under the Quality Council of India (QCI), is optional and not mandatory before the opening of a pathological or diagnostic lab in Delhi.

Based on a data received from NABL, there are only 207 accredited medical labs in Delhi-NCR (Delhi -132 labs, Haryana - 36 labs and Uttar Pradesh- 39 labs).