NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB: ASSN

Govt lab technicians resist swab collection work, move court

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:25.04.2020

Whose job is it to collect samples from suspected Covid-19 patients for swab tests?

Noting that it is the responsibility of qualified ENT doctors, and that laboratory technicians should not be compelled to do the work, a PIL has been filed in the Madras high court seeking an order to restrain the state government from continuing such a practice.

The PIL, filed by Tamil Nadu Government Medical Laboratory Technician’s Association, said one of the key components of the strategy to combat Covid-19 is contact-tracing and collecting throat swab (Oropharyngeal) and nasal swab (Nasopharyngeal) samples of potentially infected people.

“The samples can be collected only by trained healthcare worker in the presence of a clinician. Only qualified and trained workers, particularly ENT specialist doctors and post-graduate training doctors who have studied anatomy and physiology of throat and nasal swab, can do the job,” the petitioner-association said.

Noting that compelling lab technicians to take the samples would amount to violation of medical rules, the association said: “Even the Union government, through a communication dated April 8, has issued guidelines and directed all states and Union territories to take necessary steps to utilise the services of ENT professionals and post-graduate trainees to take such samples. The World Health Organisation has also issued a similar guideline.”

This apart, lab technicians have only a basic qualification of diploma in medical laboratory technology without any expertise in the anatomy and physiology of a human body, making them ineligible to collect such samples, they said. Therefore, the petitioner-association wanted the court to direct the state to immediately stop engaging lab technicians for collecting swab samples and instead, engage qualified ENT doctors for the purpose.

When the plea came up for hearing before a special division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice M Nirmal Kumar, the court adjourned the hearing as copies of the plea were not served to the government.