Implementation of Pathology Lab Bill long overdue

The Star THE Pathology Laboratory Bill was passed in Parliament in August 2007 and was to be effective only after the regulations had been finalised.

It is already four-and-a-half years since the Laboratory Act 2007 was passed, but there is still no news on the date of commencement.

I am aware that there had been a few meetings on the preparation of the regulations but progress is at snail pace.

Without this Act, any person can operate a private medical laboratory. The Pathology Laboratory Bill 2007, which has 13 parts and 87 sections, clearly stipulates only a registered medical practitioner or a pathologist registered as such under the Medical Act 1971 will be given a licence to operate a lab.

This act covers all aspects of safety, proper record keeping, qualified laboratory technicians, good quality control, etc.

Regular inspection of these labs will be done by staff of the Health Ministry.

The Health Minister may make regulations prescribing a fees schedule for the labs.

This Act restricts what medical lab tests a registered medical or dental practitioner can do. The Department of Standards Malaysia, Science and Technology Ministry, has a high powered committee to oversee this.

Once the Lab Act is implemented, walk-ins to any lab are allowed to do only three tests without a doctor’s signature on the lab form. They are blood glucose estimation, urine test for glucose and urine pregnancy test. Currently, a person can do any lab tests he wants.

The Traditional Complementary Medicine Act was passed by Parliament in 2009 and its regulations have been under preparation for the last three years. No one knows how long the Ministry will take to make it effective to prevent quacks from practising as medical practitioners.

Ten years ago, we were informed that there would be a revision of the Medical Act 1971.

Several meetings were held between the Health Ministry and related organisations, but again I am in the dark when the revisions would be passed by Parliament.

This Act, as I understand, will make it compulsory for all medical specialists to be registered, and also stipulates what general practitioners can and cannot do.

Currently, the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) is composed of elected and appointed representatives and the Director-General of Health is the president.

The appointed doctors are mainly from the five long-standing medical universities in this country, but this has to change as we now have 11 government and 19 medical colleges, and most of these private colleges have university status.

In Indonesia and Brunei, the main medical association has two representatives in their medical councils.

I hope the MMA will have a permanent representative in the MMC.

DATUK Dr N. ATHIMULAM,
Past President of MMA.