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The National Council for Clinical Establishments (NCCE) has recommended that the lab reports should have full signature as against the prevalent practice seen generally to use a single capital letter or initial to sign the reports.
The Council, in its meeting in October, this year, also noted that an amendment is required in the Clinical Establishments (CE) Act, 2010, to recognise MDS (Oral Pathology and Microbiology) post graduate degree holders as authorised signatories, with required restrictions defined.
Considering various aspects related to the signing of lab reports, the Council said, "Regarding the signing of all the lab reports, it was decided that a full signature is required".
"A signature using only a single capital letter or initials is not valid. The report must include the complete signature of the signing authority, along with their name and qualifications," added the Council.
The meeting also considered representations from the MDS Oral pathologists and microbiologists association regarding recognition of the post graduate degree holders of these courses as authorised signatories in the minimum standards for medical diagnostic laboratories under the Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) during the meeting clarified that these degree holders would be permitted to sign only oral pathology and oral histopathology tests, restricting their authority to their specific field of
expertise.
"An amendment in the CE Act, 2010 would be required to implement this, ensuring that the scope does not extend beyond their domain," observed the Council.
It may be noted that in an earlier meeting this year, the Council has recommended that the reports generated by automatic analyser and standardised by a technician can be signed by the technician and counter-signed by a supervising doctor wherever necessary.
The Central Government has issued a gazette notification Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Amendment Rules, 2018, dated March 21, 2018, mandating that the minimum qualification of technical head of laboratory or specialist or authorised signatory for a basic composite laboratory should be a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from a recognised university
institution.
The High Court of Jaipur and later the Delhi High Court has issued orders related to this and the Council has, in January, 2020, conducted a meeting to take the feedback of various experts on the same.
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