Make changes in new rules for labs, VCK urges government

“The new rules favour corporate companies as it demands large space for setting up laboratories. Even the charges for registration and disposing medical wastes collected under the new rules are high. 

The State government should immediately modify the rules,” said VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan. He was speaking during the fast observed at Chepauk. 

According to a recently-issued government order, blood testing labs should be set up at premises measuring 700 to 1,500 square feet in urban areas. In rural areas, 500 square feet has been prescribed as the minimum space requirement. 

Due to this clause, stakeholders say more than 20,000 small labs in TN in danger of being shut down. 

The protesters demanded the State government to fix the area required for labs in rural areas at 100 square feet and in urban areas at 150 square feet. 

“Only a chain of hospitals and corporate companies will be able to set up such big laboratories. The new rules indirectly force the small labs to shut down,” said Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE). 

Another major demand of the protesters is to reduce the cost of registration of labs from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1,000, and to fix the cost of disposal of medical wastes at Rs 500 per month. 

Tamil Manila Congress President G K Vasan also extended his support to the lab technicians. 

“Thousands of people in rural and urban areas who cannot afford high amounts for lab testing facilities are helped by the small labs. If they are closed, poor people will suffer a lot,” said Vasan.