New Delhi: The government has announced that professionals with MSc degree in Medical Microbiology or Medical Biochemistry with three years of laboratory experience can become authorised signatory in a diagnostic laboratory for tests respective to their specialisation without recording any opinion or interpretation of lab results.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in its latest gazette notification regarding Clinical Establishment (Central Government) Amendment Rules 2020 on 14/02/2020 made it official.
A PhD in Medical Microbiology or Medical Biochemistry shall be required for Medium & Advanced Laboratories.
The notification came after the Board of Governors in supersession of MCI gave its decision regarding the role of authorized signatory to the ministry.
Dr. Sridhar Rao, President, National M.Sc Medical Teachers’ Association welcomed this move of the ministry and said, “it was indeed a long battle to win back our rights.
Signing authority was snatched from us and many of our members lost jobs or demoted at workplace and faced a lot of hardships”.
He thanked the Board ofGovernors and the central Health Ministry for restoring the signatory rights by giving due consideration to the NMMTA’s detailed representations.
“Clinical scientists signing laboratory reports is practiced all over the world, including the US, the UK, the European Union, Middle Eastcountries, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Nepal etc. In fact, the West Bengal government had included the clinical scientists in its Clinical Establishments Act guidelines. With the Union government clearing the way, rest of the states must adopt these guidelines”, he added.
Arjun Maitra, Secretary, National M.Sc Medical Teachers’ Association said it was like a gift given by the ministry to the Clinical Scientist (with Medical Msc/PhD) community.
“We were waiting for this day for long. From 2014 we were fighting for our professional dignity and the opportunity to work in the field of our specialization. Appropriately trained clinical scientists will compensate the acute deficiency of doctors specializing in laboratory medicine,” he said.