Private diagnostic centres flourish in Punjab in absence of guidelines

SANGRUR: Private diagnostic centres have been mushrooming in Punjab in the absence of a comprehensive framework to regulate such facilities in the state.

Independent laboratories could be found in every nook and corner as there is no need to obtain approval from the state health department or any other competent government authority prior to opening such centres in Punjab. Also, neither there are any specific guidelines to run these laboratories nor rules defining qualification of their staff.

As per the reports, not a single laboratory is registered with the health department and the government doesn’t have a definite number of total centres operating in Punjab. The association of independent medical laboratories, however, pegs the number at 10,000.

In the absence of definitive rules and regulations, the health department is unable to

keep tabs on standardisation of tests besides kits and equipment used by these centres.

As per the Joint Association of Independent Medical Laboratories and Elite Professionals, of the 10,000 laboratories in Punjab, only 400 to 500 are being run by microbiologists and pathologists, while others

are operated by lab technicians.

Jagdeep Randhawa, state president of the association, said, “Neither the government has formulated guidelines for the registration of private laboratories nor authorised any agency to monitor their functioning. That’s why no rules apply to us. We are also demanding the government to form a body of independent laboratories on the pattern of chemists’ council to govern and regulate operations of private labs.” As of now, technicians, who holds diplomas and graduate degrees in medical laboratory technology, are running labs, but there are no criteria to verify and check the validation of their qualification and institutes from where they have obtained it.

‘There should be a proper mechanism for registration of labs’

Dr Akhil Sarin, president of the Punjab Civil Medical Service, said, “There should be a proper mechanism for registration of labs and machines should be operated by qualified lab technicians and staff only.”

Sangrur civil surgeon Dr Parminder Kaur said, “No laboratory is registered with us because there is no such rule. But the government has fixed the price of tests like dengue and a few others.”