CHENNAI: It's not doctors but lab technicians who are duty bound to collect swabs for COVID-19 tests, the state government informed the Madras high court on Wednesday.
State government pleader V Jayaprakash Narayanan told this to a division bench of Justices R Subbiah and Krishnan Ramaswamy when it was hearing a public interest litigation from the Tamil Nadu
Government Medical Laboratory Technicians Association.
The association, representing government lab technicians, had submitted that it is not their duty to collect swabs for COVID-19 tests. Only ENT professional doctors and post-graduate trainees should be assigned for this job, the petition contended.
However, the government pleader, on behalf of the state government, informed the court that it had always been part of the day-to-day duty of the lab technicians to collect swabs from patients.
It was one of the very important competencies that medical laboratory technicians should possess as part and parcel of their basic professional qualification, the government pleader said. The case was adjourned by a day by the court.