CHENNAI: The Paramedical Laboratory Educational and Welfare Association will be holding a demonstration today against the Tamil Nadu Health Department's new rules stipulating minimum space requirements for laboratories.

The association claimed these rules would affect small-scale testing centres by favouring larger corporate facilities.

According to the government order (GO MS No. 390), laboratories in urban areas must have at least 500-700 square feet of space, while those in rural areas require 300 square feet. The association stated that this will impact hundreds of laboratories across Tamil Nadu, with at least 50 per cent of the small laboratories in rural and urban areas facing adverse effects.

After initial requests for modification of the rules, the association has decided to hold a demonstration to draw the attention of the State Health Department towards their demands regarding these concerns.

P Kalidasan, national president of the association, highlighted that the rules mandate unrealistic space requirements, which in turn will lead to the closure of many small laboratories.

The association also suggests that the testing centres should be categorised based on their services, rather than the space requirement. The Doctor's Association for Social Equality has also highlighted the issue earlier.