Taking cognisance of the complaints submitted by Maharashtra Association of Practising Pathologists (MAPP), the Medical Council of India has issued a letter to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to
Taking cognisance of the complaints submitted by Maharashtra Association of Practising Pathologists (MAPP), the Medical Council of India has issued a letter to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to investigate the role of the DMER director and take necessary action for failing to address the issue of faux pathology centres.
MAPP had filed a complaint against Dr Shingare for his alleged incompetence in taking action against pathology laboratories functioning in the state without certified pathologists and siding with these laboratories.
The complaint was sent on July 20, to the secretary of MCI in order to highlight the rampant increase in the number of pathology laboratories functioning within Maharashtra without a certified pathologist to cross-check the samples and sign on reports. In their complaint, the largest body of pathologists across the state, consisting of about 25 per cent of the total pathologists registered with MMC, pointed out that Dr Shingare, in his role as a director of DMER, has not only failed to take action against a number of laboratories but has also made statements showing sympathy for the same.
Commenting on this, Dr Prasad Kulkarni from MAPP said, “Since 2001, thousands of pathology labs serving under various names have been testing blood, urine, stool and other bodily fluid samples of Maharashtrians. However, due to the negligence of DMER that is the supreme medical body, offering technical advice to the state government on such issues, reports in these laboratories are signed by technicians and other staff members of the pathology labs who are not even certified pathologists. Despite numerous complaints, Dr Shingare issued letters to district bodies to not take action against such pathology laboratories, violating the very norms of MCI and MMC.”
Producing evidence of Dr Shingare’s directives, the letter also mentions two different occasions where he denied testing of bodily fluids as a branch of medicine and said that there is no need to have a certified pathologist to run the laboratories.
After reviewing the evidence, MCI deputy secretary Ashok Kumar Harit has contacted MMC and asked them to investigate the case and complaints against Dr Shingare and submit a report within six months.
