Maharashtra govt to bring new law to crack down on bogus pathology labs

Uday Samant. File Pic

Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant on Tuesday said the state government has drafted a law to crack down on bogus pathology labs, which will provide punishment to violators, reported news agency PTI.

During the Question Hour in the state assembly, Samant, the higher and technical education minister, said the proposed law would entail proper rules and regulations, and flying squads would be formed to check violations, reported PTI.

Unregistered pathology laboratories will not be allowed to operate, he said.

The issue concerns the urban development, public health and medical education departments, Samant said, reported PTI.

BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said bogus pathology labs were looting money and playing with people's lives, reported PTI.

Several collection centres that have come up over the years should be registered, he said, demanding criminal cases against violators.

NCP (SP) legislator Rajesh Tope said the Nursing Home Act should be amended if the state government can't implement the new law soon.

To this, the minister said the draft of the new law was ready, and if needed, the Nursing Home Act would also be amended.

Yogesh Sagar of the BJP said pathology forms a base for any surgery, and the poor end up going to bogus labs for testing.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ajay Choudhary claimed that bogus pathology labs work in connivance with government hospitals, reported PTI.

The discussion took place on a question by BJP legislator Sunil Rane, who sought data about the number of pathology labs in Mumbai.

He expressed surprise at the government's reply that under existing rules of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act 1888, there was no provision for registration of pathology labs, reported PTI.

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 are required, he said, reported PTI.

The minister said the Maharashtra Paramedical Council had authorised 7,085 candidates to operate pathology labs since 2019, and of these, 182 were in Mumbai.

There were 197 labs in civic-run hospitals in Mumbai, he added.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra legislative council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to rename seven stations on the Mumbai local train network, reported PTI.

The Mahayuti government, comprising Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the BJP, and NCP led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, will now submit the new names to the Union government for approval, reported PTI.

The resolution, moved by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil, was adopted unanimously, reported PTI.

Names of most of the stations on the Mumbai local train network are in English, and it has been argued that they carry a colonial legacy.

(With inputs from PTI)