Plea to close unauthorised labs, diagnostic centres in Delhi: HC seeks AAP govt's stand

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the AAP government's stand on a plea seeking closure of the unauthorised pathological labs and diagnostic centres in the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao listed the matter for hearing with a similar matter on September 17 by when the Delhi government's lawyer said he will take instructions regarding the matter.

The public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Bejon Kumar Misra, a social activist, has alleged that the unauthorised labs and diagnostic centres were being managed by unqualified technicians and sought formulation of a policy to regulate the setting up and running of such entities.

The plea filed through advocate Shashi Bhushan, has also sought that as an alternative, guidelines be framed for implementation of the Clinical Establishment Act (Registration Regulation Act, 2010) to deal with the issue of unauthorised labs allegedly managed by "un-qualified" lab technicians.

Misra has alleged that the unqualified lab technicians were not only conducting various tests, but were also providing inferences based on unscientific and unqualified outcomes, which undermine the health and safety of people.

The plea has said that a small error in the diagnosis would lead to threat of life and irrational treatment to patients.

"Now such illegal labs continue to mushroom in and around Delhi NCT and it can be easily estimated that the total number of such illegal pathological and diagnostic labs can be anywhere between 20,000 to 25,000, and every street in the capital is having such illegal pathological labs," the petition has claimed.

It has alleged that the Delhi government has no proper mechanism or strategy to stop the mushrooming of such illegal labs.

"The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) under the Quality Council of India (QCI) is optional and not mandatory before opening of a pathological or diagnostic lab in Delhi," the petition added.