Address Concerns of Diagnostic labs in Kashmir
Diagnostic labs have an important role to play in the health care especially when it comes to diagnosing diseases and health issues of the masses . The private Diagnostic centers also serve a purpose to lessen the burden on public health care .The diagnostician’s main role is determination of disease etiology. Secondary but equally important roles played by the diagnostic laboratory include: 1) consultative/advisory role; 2) interpretative role; and 3) disease surveillance role.In Kashmir too scores of diagnostic labs spread across length and breadth of Kashmir are rendering important services.
It is a matter of grim Concern in the valley of Kashmir the owners of hundreds of Diagnostic Labs in Kashmir fear they may have to wrap up their enterprises with a fresh rule being implemented in the UT that requires every laboratory, even those doing the most basic of tests, to have an MBBS doctor on board.It is worth mentioning here in this regard that the debate that has been going on in India for the past couple of years has reached Kashmir. With the Clinical Establishments Rule Amendment 2020, and its applicability in J&K, every diagnostic laboratory is required to have at least an MBBS doctor on board to sign the reports.
The Kashmir Private Diagnostic Centers Association (KPDCA) also recently urged the government to amend the registration policy and expedite the registration process of over 2000 diagnostic labs that have been waiting since 2019.
The need of the hour is to provide such pathway that neither people nor diagnostic labs suffer .
