Hospitals not in MCI jurisdiction'

Bengaluru: National MSc Medical Teachers’ Assocation (NMMTA) condemned the recent communication made by the Medical Council of India (MCI) to National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) recommending to reconsider the signatory authority of  MSc Medical degree holders. They pointed out that hospitals and nursing homes are beyond the jurisdiction of MCI.

"How can diagnostic laboratories attached to hospitals and nursing homes fall under MCI's jurisdiction? The recent action of MCI to overrule the recommendations of the Ethics Committee are totally unethical,” said Dr Sridhar Rao, President of NMMTA.

The Association also pointed out that document 112 of NABL provides Medical M.Sc degree holders in the disciplines of Microbiology and Biochemistry with authorised signatory roles in any diagnostic laboratory.

According to Secretary Arjun Maitra, the recommendations made by the MCI are being widely misconstrued. "We are being disallowed to practice in the area we were trained in. With no clarification coming from the MCI, India's biomedical scientists are alarmed with the fear of losing livelihood and dignity,” he said.