Following the show-cause notices served on pathologists from Thane, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Baramati and Sangli for signing diagnostic reports without proper verification and authorisation, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) is planning to hear cases on the same warranting immediate action in the interest of patient safety.

Pathologists were summoned recently to seek a proper explanation at the ethics committee meeting held recently but could not get a satisfactory explanation, according to an MMC official associated with the development.

MMC is also currently mulling over to suspend the licenses of the offending pathologists from across the state in order to curb the malpractice of issuing diagnostic reports without due supervision and guidance under a qualified pathologist. This comes close on the heels of the complaints made by Maharashtra Association of Practicing Pathologists and Microbiologists (MAPPM) on the unauthorised diagnostic reports issued by the path lab personnel. An umbrella body of qualified pathologists, MAPPM has under its fold more than 15,000 path labs across the state.

MCI allows only registered medical practitioners holding a PG degree in pathology to practice it. Illegal laboratories have been posing a threat not only to the patients but also to those running laboratories in the legal way.

According to an MMC official, the forthcoming committee meeting will give a final hearing on the pathologists who were found indulging in unethical practice of signing blank reports without overseeing the veracity of the diagnostic reports.

MMC intends to first suspend licenses of pathologists for the violation under the provisions of the MMC Act based on their explanations sought which is currently under review. This is the first time that the MMC has taken such a step to deter path lab personnel from indulging in such practices.

"We did not get satisfactory replies earlier during the investigation. Only a person with a post-graduate degree in pathology is a qualified pathologist registered with the MMC," the official explained. Path labs are also under the cloud with pathologists simply renting out their certificates without being present in the lab.

As per MMC Act, laboratories conducting and issuing diagnostic tests should have one or more qualified pathologists to oversee the tests and certify the reports. There have been cases in the past where diagnostic reports were given by technicians only and not under the guidance of qualified pathologists.