The LMO has also seized the weighing scales used in the laboratory, thus paralysing the diagnostic work too.
In a move that diagnostic centres call disturbing, the Legal Metrology Organisation — also called the Weights and Measures department — has confiscated weighing machines and measuring tapes from three such centres, despite the gadgets being accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. NABL is an autonomous body under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.
According to sources, a team of LMO visited the centres on Thursday and randomly seized the machines without a prior notice. All the three diagnostic centres from where the equipment were seized are based in Andheri. Dr Sudhir Naik, president of Association of Medical Consultants, said: "Our association has strongly protested the high handedness shown by the authorities. We will be sending a memorandum on the same."
Naik said that the action taken by the LMO is impractical and flimsy. "The doctors have been victimised and the patients are suffering. When NABL has accredited the labs, the machines have gone through the right calibration process. No authority before this has ever told us about LMO's stamp being compulsory. Out of the blue, how can LMO seize the machines," he questioned.
The LMO has also seized the weighing scales used in the laboratory, thus paralysing the diagnostic work too.
Agreeing on the actions taken on the diagnostic centres, Sanjay Pandey, IPS officer in-charge of the LMD, said, "We received specific complaints about the diagnostic centres on overpricing. The Kuwait embassy had selected these diagnostic centres for prospective job seekers' medical test and these job seekers had complained that the package of the test are costly."
Pandey, however, couldn't explain the link between the overpriced test packages and his department's decision to seize the weighing scales. He emphasised that every clinic, hospital and diagnostic centre need to have diagnostic machines stamped by his department irrespective of the fact that they have got NABL accredition.
"The association of doctors spoke to me and said that they were not aware of this rule. In that case, we will give them a chance and spread awareness on the necessity to get the machines stamped by our department even if the machines are NABL accredited," said Pandey.
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