By
1. Dr. (Prof.) Mahesh Baldwa,
M.D, D.C.H, FIAP, MBA, LL.B, LL.M, PhD (law)
SENIOR PEDIATRICIAN & MEDICOLEGAL ADVISOR
Formerly Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at T.N. Medical College and Nair Hospital, Mumbai-8
Ex. Asst. Professor JJ Hosp, Grant medical college
Ex. Professor, paper setter & examiner of law to postgraduate students of University Department of Law, University of Mumbai
Baldwa Hospital, Sumer Nagar, S.V. Road, Borivali (West) Mumbai 400 092
2. Dr. Sushila Baldwa, MBBS, MD, consultant, Apollo clinic (part of Apollo Hospital), Kandivali west, Mumbai
3. Dr Namita Padvi, MBBS, MD, DNB, PGDML, Emirates Hospital Dubai
4. Dr Varsha Baldwa, MBBS, MD, PGDML, P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai
Today I wish to touch upon odious competition faced by pathologist, pathology laboratories by qualified doctors. We all know quacks are competing with qualified doctors by in each pathy but pathologist is most affected. Medical Council of India (MCI) announced MBBS degree holders registered with it and Medical Councils of different states were eligible to sign laboratory reports of patients. The patient reports should not be signed by MSc, PhD, DMLT, CMLT, Medical Lab Technicians are not authorized to do so as per Medical Council of India (MCI).
The Medical Council of India communicated the decision of its Executive Committee to the Director, National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
The issue was raised by NABL asking MCI whether the MSc and PhD candidates, who are not registered with MCI or State Councils, were eligible to sign medical laboratory reports?
The NABL had written to the Council seeking its stand on the issues that “can persons hold MBBS degree registered with MCI/State Medical Council sign the medical test reports? Can PhD (Medical Microbiology, Medical Biochemistry, Life Sciences, Applied Biology, Cytogenetic and Biotechnology) in relevant discipline be allowed to sign medical test reports? If not, can the same be allowed if they are co-authorized with a person registered with MCI/State Medical Council?”
In reply to the NABL letter, the notification issued by the Deputy Secretary, Medical Council of India (MCI) said that all lab reports should be signed or countersigned by persons registered with MCI or State Medical Council. This implies that only MBBS doctors would be allowed to sign lab reports while Medical MSc or PhD holder and medical lab technicians and like cannot. This is seen as a landmark decision and paradigm shift in the policy which will curb the ill-practice in the field by quacks.
Till now thousands of laboratories across India were run independently by MSc, PhD holders in Medical Science and those MBBS doctors with three years of experience were also allowed to sign report as authorized signatories. With this latest decision, MBBS qualification is enough to practice laboratory medicine, but those having an MSc/PhD stand at a disadvantage. Thus MCI clearly bars M.Sc & PhD holders from certifying medical test reports. The MCI decision will take its toll on scores of pathology laboratories employing MSc with PhD or PhD in above mentioned disciplines to sign medical test reports. Maharashtra Association of Practitioners in Pathology and Microbiology (MAPPM) had taken the issue with NABL after it found that a number of path labs have hired candidates with M. Sc with PhD or PhD path labs to certify medical reports in violation of MCI norm. Even though the NABL accreditation is a voluntary in nature, it assures that accredited path labs meet quality standards. If unqualified persons will certify medical reports in accredited labs, the reports will not be authentic hampering patient treatment. Since the doctors diagnosis and patients treatment is totally dependent on the clinical laboratory tests. The Indian Medical Council Act 1956 and professional regulations 2002 clearly says that MBBS is the minimum qualification to practice modern system of medicine. Signing a pathology report is considered a practice of modern medicine. Any qualification other than MBBS or MD pathology/biochemistry/microbiology is not eligible to sign a lab report by law.
Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act 1961 also states that running a pathology laboratory and examining the samples of blood, urine and other body fluids/tissues and signing out corresponding reports is a medical practice. Such specialized practice can be carried out under the direct supervision of a qualified pathologist (MBBS with post graduate qualifications in pathology) who is also registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council or the Medical Council of India. Reports generated as a direct consequence of this analysis of blood, urine and other body fluids and tissues can only be signed by suitably qualified and registered pathologist.
My request to one and all not to entertain any report signed by doctor who is not MBBS or MD and above. Start complaining about pathology laboratories employing M.Sc with PhD or PhD, CMLT, DMLT and like to local police, magistrate, district health authority and medical council of India to weed out quacks from pathology laboratories.
