The Maharashtra government will soon implement Maharashtra Paramedical Council Act 2011 to maintain and regulate better standards of education and practice of clinical laboratory science in the state.

The Maharashtra Paramedical Council Act 2011 which was passed by the Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad in 2012 had received the consent from the President. However, the President had given some recommendations. Based on the recommendations, amendments were incorporated in the Act which was passed by both the houses of the state legislature in March 2017. It has recently received the consent of the governor of the state. The government will issue Gazette notification paving the way for implementation of the Act.

The Act seeks to establish a paramedical council which will prepare and maintain a state register of paramedical professionals with an aim to regulate profession and practice of clinical laboratory science and technology.

As per the Act, every person who possesses any of the recognised paramedical qualifications of Bachelor of Paramedical Technology (BPMT), or Diploma in Medical Lab Technology (DMLT) specified in the Schedule and who desires to get registered as paramedical shall make application to the registrar along with the proof of qualification and on payment of fee as may be prescribed, be entitled to have his name entered in the state register.

The registration will be valid for five years. Any paramedical subject is not specified or any paramedical subject needs to be deleted or needs some modification, the government may, by notification in the official gazette, amend the Schedule so as to include therein such subject not already specified therein or omit there from any subject or modify the description of any subject.

At present, only 30 per cent of the total workforce in path labs in government and private healthcare facilities possess DMLT. Once implemented, the Act will render 70 per cent of workforce in path labs unemployed as they won’t be considered eligible for registration in the council.

Taking serious note of this, Association of the Hospital and Practicing Biochemists and Medical Technologists (AHPBMT), an organisation of professionals from the field of clinical laboratory science and technology, has written to the Minister for Medical Education and Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to make clinical laboratory science and technology professionals who are already employed in private and public hospital labs or carrying on the profession as their principal means of livelihood for a period not less than five years from the date prior to the formation of council (2011) eligible for registration with the council.

Dr M Z Baig, secretary of the association said “There are 50,000 paramedical professionals working in government and private hospitals and 70 per cent of them do not possess the qualification mentioned in the Schedule of the Act for the registration with the council. Their livelihood is at risk. The association has RTI replies which they are receiving from Directorate Health Services to substantiate the claim. There is no mention in the Act that their experience will be recognised and they will be eligible for registration with the council to continue their employment or self-employment”.

“We have repeatedly appealed to the government to come out with provision in the Act at par with Pharmacy Council Act 1948 of India to make existing workforce eligible for registration with the council so that they can carry on the profession unabated,” he said.

He further said that Medical Education and Drugs Department’s booklet pertaining to the recruitment of technical and paramedic staff  (MEDSS-CWT 2012, still in force) and the Municipal Corporation (MCGB) “List of Posts for which Qualifications are sanctioned (MOM/7042)” is still in force which states that those having B Sc with chemistry, microbiology, were eligible for the post of lab technicians whereas DMLT is not compulsory but preferable.

Those having B Sc (Occupational Therapy), B Sc with physiotherapy were eligible for occupational therapist and physiotherapist. Now the forthcoming Act will make BPMT compulsory for the registration, rendering the existing workforce redundant.