Expedite Passing of Clinical Establishment Bill, Organized Labs Tell Government

The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill 2007 is due to be tabled in this session of the parliament and many big labs are eagerly awaiting its passage.

Big labs are making efforts to accredit their labs with the international quality standards, but smaller individual labs do not even have a qualified technician to collate the results, which is playing havoc with the live of patients and is affecting the quality of the healthcare industry in the country.

"We are in hope that the clinical establishment's bill will bring in a change in this scene and there will be a level playing field for all the companies," said Girish Mehta, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Piramal Diagnostics. Piramal has 104 centers across India and believes this bill can help them avoid unhealthy competition.

The Indian medical diagnostics industry is estimated at Rs 10,000 crore, according to a recent report from McKinsey & Company. Dr Arvind Lal, chairman and managing director, Dr Lal Pathlabs says that of the 50,000 labs in the country at least 50% do not have qualified technicians.

"The clinical establishment regulation would wean out the laboratories run by non-qualified persons. Further, it should force the labs to comply quality standards like NABL accreditation. Quality will definitely come with cost, but it will save the lives of patients," he added.



Source-Bio-Bio Technology
RAS