Pathology lab in Howrah shut after it forges dead doc's signature on report

Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has taken action against a private pathological laboratory in Howrah—New India Diagnostic and Polyclinic after it had issued a pathological report carrying the signature of a doctor who has already died.

The WBCERC initiated a suo motu case in this connection on the basis of a newspaper report. A patient registered a complaint with the commission alleging that a pathological report was issued by the lab that carried the signature of a doctor who is no longer alive. The CMoH has served a show cause notice to the pathological lab and initiated proceedings for cancelling the license. The district health administration has also closed the lab. The WBCERC also urged the CMoH to complete the probe as soon as possible.

"The owner of the pathological lab took part in the virtual hearing on Wednesday and sought apology for the incident. The owner also claimed that they had given the responsibility of running the lab to somebody else. We have, however, asked the CMoH to carry out a thorough probe," WBCERC Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee said.

The WBCERC also directed the Director of Health Services (DHS) to conduct a probe against Aloka Medicare that had allegedly administered expired Covid vaccine on an elderly couple. Manish Jhunjhunwala registered a complaint with the Commission saying that his parents were administered a vaccine on March 26 that had already expired on February 5. The Commission also asked the police to send the vial to the health department for further examination.

The Commission also directed the DHS to form a high-power committee to probe into a case in which an IVF clinic, Kolkata Women Clinic had allegedly taken Rs 5 lakh with an assurance of 100 per cent successful treatment but failed to yield results. A couple had registered the complaint with the Commission.

The WBCERC also asked Anandalok Hospital in Salt Lake to return Rs 1,500 for charging a patient excessively. The Commission has also asked Fortis Hospital not to take the treatment cost any further apart from medicine and pathology from a patient who was not overcharged but the patient had to be admitted twice due to complications.