VIJAYAWADA: Authorities concerned in the legal metrology department are planning an intense drive to inspect hospitals to ensure that they use properly calibrated and stamped electronic weighing machines and also that they comply with MRP norms while selling medical and surgical devices to avoid exploitation of patients.
In a recent case reported at a private hospital in Kurnool, the hospital authorities allegedly used non-calibrated electronic weighing machine to weigh a newborn baby boy and claimed that he was under-weight. They later placed him in the incubator and provided special treatment to charge more. Finally, it came to light that it was the electronic weighing machine which was not in proper condition while the baby was born with normal weight. The parents of the boy reportedly sold away their gold ornaments for getting special treatment at the hospital.
The legal metrology authorities took the issue seriously and are planning to inspect all the hospitals to ensure that they use only properly calibrated and stamped electronic weighing machines to avoid such lapse hereafter and also to avoid exploitation of patients by charging them more for various services.
As the Centre carried out an amendment to Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, with GSR No. 629 E, on July 23, 2017, by bringing certain medical and surgical devices such as stents, heart valves, disposable syringes, intravenous sets and others, under the purview, with regard to their MRP, label specifications and other norms, the Legal Metrology authorities are also going to keep check on sale of medical devices to the patients for implant purpose or for any other purpose to ensure that they are sold at MRP only. Though the amended Rules came into effect from January 1, 2018, lack of proper awareness allegedly resulted in continuous violation of the norms.
To avoid this, the Legal Metrology authorities are going to inspect the hospitals and check whether the managements are complying with the amended rules.
The authorities will also inspect Rhytu Bazaars, fertiliser and seeds shops, market yards etc. to check whether the traders are using calibrated weighing scales and selling products at MRP.
Legal Metrology controller M. Kanta Rao said: “We are coming up with a four-pronged strategy, comprising awareness, advise, counselling and warning to curb a series of malpractices at hospitals, commercial establishments, fair price shops and at other places to ensure that no person gets duped and exploited. We are going to inspect hospitals and other establishments shortly to see that the managements comply with all norms and if they fail to do so, we will deal with them as per the norms.”
