With an aim to improve quality of diagnostic services in the state, the Bihar government has come out with draft Medical Laboratory Technician Council Bill 2018. The Bill paves the way for establishment of Bihar Medical Laboratory Technician Council to regulate profession and education of medical laboratory technician (MLT) practitioners.

Public comments have been invited on the draft Bill by January 15, 2019. The draft was issued by Dr RD Ranjan, Director in Chief (Chairman), Health Services, Bihar on January 4, 2019.

Once this Bill becomes an Act, Council will be established to regulate matters pertaining to registration of MLT practitioners. It will appoint a registrar to prepare and maintain the State Register of MLT practitioners. Every person who possesses any of the recognized medical laboratory technician/technologist qualifications such as DMLT and B.Sc MLT etc and who desires to practice as medical laboratory technician/technologist shall, on making such application to the Registrar along with the proof of such qualification and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed, be entitled to have his name entered in the State Register. Such registration shall be valid for a period of five years and it can be renewed thereafter. No MLT can practice in the state without registration with the Council.

The MLT practitioner shall work under guidance of the pathologist of the institution. Their test report shall be countersigned by the MBBS/ M.D., DNB, PHD, DCP (Pathology)/ MD.DNB (Microbiology). They should collect the sample of female patient in presence female staff. Only registered MLT practitioner will be eligible for government jobs, says the draft Bill… (Pharmabiz, January 11, 2019)