Soon, Thane municipal corporation to carry out survey to weed out illegal path labs

THANE: The Thane municipal administration will soon embark on a survey to identify and weed out pathology labs operating without relevant permissions and expertise. The move comes after members of the Thane Pathologist Association complained to the corporation that there could be nearly 100 labs operating illegally, thus risking the lives of patients.
The association members have alleged that the administration is deliberately dragging its feet and have cited a clear mandate set by the Supreme Court in 2017 for the operation of path labs.

A proposal was also passed by the general body in the past but the health department continues to delay implementing the orders, claimed the members. The health department of the municipal corporation also currently does not have any records of the approximately 1,000 path labs operating within the city; of which a few could be working without complying with the norms. Officials said that path labs that are part of providing medical services and have to be operated by qualified personnel who are approved by the medical council, including doctors with specialization in pathology.

However, it is alleged that there are several labs that are being operated by those who just have a diploma in lab technicians. The association of pathologists in Thane had recently approached the health department of the Thane municipal corporation with complaints of few facilities operating illegally. Meanwhile, Dr. Ram T Kendre, chief medical health officer at the TMC, said that they were planning to conduct a survey to know the number of qualified pathologists operating labs in the city.