NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked states to take action against online health aggregators offering diagnostic laboratory facilities without registering while maintaining only the minimum standards of service as mandated by the norms.
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has pointed out to states that certain online health service aggregators, operational in various parts of the country, neither provide any details of laboratories, on behalf of which, they are providing services, nor their registration status, including compliance to minimum standards.
“The details of qualified staff, as required for running the laboratory services, may also not be available on their online portals,” said a letter sent to state chief secretaries a few days back. If such instances are happening, then it is a matter of grave concern, as it affects the health and safety of citizens, who may obtain services from these online aggregators and may subsequently be aggrieved, the secretary wrote.
The directions to the states come following an order by the Delhi high court which had asked the Union health ministry to take necessary steps to stop operations of illegal online health service providers. “Health being a state subject, and keeping in view the directions of the Hon’ble Court in the above said order, it is requested, that a time-bound action plan may be made and implemented, as per the applicable laws, for regulating such online health service aggregators, and the related service providers. operational in your state UT,” Bhushan said.