Now, only doctors can sign diagnostic reports

NEW DELHI, 4 JULY 2017:

Only persons holding an MBBS degree and registered with the Medical Council of India (MCI) or with the state medical councils can now sign diagnostic reports, as per a new order issued by MCI. The move is aimed at regulating quality and standard of reports generated by diagnostic chains, which are fast mushrooming across the country.

"It was decided by the Executive Committee that 'All lab reports to be signed/countersigned by persons registered with MCI /State Medical Council,'" the Council said.

According to the Council, PhD scholars in different medical streams such as medical microbiology or medical biochemistry, professional medical lab technicians are not authorised to sign medical test reports issued by laboratories.

The decision was taken in a recent meeting of the MCI executive council following recommendations by its ethics committee.

While reputed and established diagnostic laboratories, mainly in metros, often get reports signed and countersigned by persons with MBBS degree, smaller laboratories particularly in tier II and III cities or in rural areas use lab technicians and PhD scholars to sign test reports.

Diagnostics industry in India is pegged at Rs 37,000 crore annually, growing at around 17%. There are over 100,000 diagnostic laboratories across the country, whereas 80-90% of the market is dominated by unorganised players, with only 1% of them accredited.

Though appreciating the MCI's move, experts say this alone is not enough to ensure quality and standard or care as MCI does not have the power to regulate diagnostic chains, particularly those not run by doctors registered with it.

"MCI orders cannot control mushrooming of labs run by non MBBS as they do not come under its purview. Need of the hour is to have a regulatory body which can monitor lab standards, quality and make a code of conduct. MCI should also direct all registered practitioners not to accept any test report signed by non doctor," said Dr Gurinder Grewal, former president of Punjab Medical Council.

There is no specific law regulating the diagnostics industry - neither for pricing nor quality. While some big players depend on voluntary accreditation from organisations like National Accreditation Board for Testing (NABL) and Calibration Laboratories and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for quality, the smaller ones operate more like 'mom-and-pop' shops in the absence of regulatory norms.

The MCI decision comes in the wake of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) seeking clarification from the Council on the issue as many labs use professional laboratory technicians to get reports verified.

Officials say though the government is aware of the discrepancies and anomalies in the industry, it is struggling to regulate the same as most states are yet to adopt the Clinical Establishment Act, which makes it mandatory for such clinical establishments to bring transparency. The Act also requires all diagnostic laboratories to be manned by doctors. The Times of India