After a report published in The Statesman, the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has taken suo motu action on a private diagnostic laboratory in Uluberia of Howrah district.

“We have made a suo motu complaint against a private diagnostic laboratory and asked its owner and chief medical officer of health (CMOH) of Howrah to appear before virtual hearing on the matter on Wednesday,” Justice Asim Banerjee, chairman of the WBCERC, said today.

On 4 May, The Statesman had carried a report on how the private laboratory at the Hospital Gate in Uluberia used to issue pathological test reports to patients signed by a ‘dead doctor’ raising serious questions on the authenticity and validity of the tests conducted at the lab.

Various test reports were found carrying signatures of the ‘dead doctor’ in biochemistry Dr Ajoy Kumar Das (MBBS, MD in biochemistry) as pathologist/pathology-in-charge in the laboratory. But Dr Das, retired physician of a Delhi-based hospital, died of cancer during June in 2020.

Surprisingly, the laboratory for the past two years was giving test reports where Dr Das’ signature was found.

Mrs Sikha Das, widow of Dr Das, when contacted had told this correspondent, “My husband died of cancer in June in 2020 and how could it be possible for him to sign on laboratory test reports. It is simply unbelievable and you ask the laboratory to stop the practice immediately.”

After retirement, Dr Das used to stay at Sinthee More in the city till his death, she said.

“We had made a contract for five years with Dr Das from 2019 and printed 25000 copies of blank letter-head pads of test reports. His signature was carried on all the blank letter-head pads of our laboratory. Around Rs 60,000 were spent for the printouts of blank pads,” owner of the laboratory, Md Ashif Iqbal Mollah had said, adding, “Dr Das died one year ago. How can we waste such a huge number of blank pre-signed pads? That is why we are using these pads for test reports carrying his signature. We have already decided to engage a new pathologist who will sign the report pads from now.”