Doctors seek medical council action against Telangana pathologist for signing lab reports in Maharashtra sans registration

Mumbai: A Telangana-registered pathologist has been accused of signing pathology reports for multiple laboratories across Maharashtra despite not being registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council, which is mandatory for practising in the state.

The issue was flagged by an association of Pathologists after laboratory reports bearing the doctor’s name and signature surfaced in districts including Beed, Nashik, Jalgaon and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Earlier, noting that a Telangana-based pathologist, registered only with the Telangana Medical Council, has allegedly been signing pathology reports for several laboratories across the state, the Maharashtra Association of Practising Pathologists and Microbiologists (MAPPM) filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMP), seeking action against the doctor.

According to the association, the concerned doctor is working as an assistant professor at a well-known private medical college in Tamil Nadu. The association claimed that although she works in Tamil Nadu and has been registered with the Telangana Medical Council since 2013, she has been signing pathology reports for laboratories in Beed, Nashik, Jalgaon and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

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The matter came to light after the association received lab reports carrying her name, qualifications and signature. After this, the association inspected the laboratories and found her name displayed there as well. During the inquiry, the association approached the MMC for verification. However, the council confirmed that no doctor with that name was registered with the Maharashtra medical council.

Concerned by this, the association carried out a detailed investigation and found that the doctor is registered with the Telangana Medical Council. The association cross-checked with the Telangana council, which confirmed her registration details and qualifications.

The association stated that the pathologist is not registered with the Maharashtra medical council, which is mandatory to practise or sign reports in Maharashtra. It raised concerns over how her signature appeared on reports issued by laboratories located hundreds of kilometres away in another state.

"As per the Supreme Court judgment dated 12.12.2017, laboratory test reports must be certified only by a pathologist registered with the Medical Council. Further, according to the Maharashtra Medical Council notification and the Madhya Pradesh High Court decision, tests must be conducted in the presence of a pathologist, who then prepares and certifies the report," the association stated in its complaint.

The association further stated that if anyone other than a pathologist registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council conducts tests and provides reports to patients, they are considered a bogus doctor under Section 33 of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961, and this is a cognizable and non-bailable offence.

Following this, MAPPM filed a complaint with the CSMP on January 20, 2026, requesting action under Section 33 of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961, against laboratory operators where no registered pathologist is working, as well as against the concerned pathologist.

As per the law, any person issuing pathology reports without being a registered medical practitioner with the MMC amounts to practising as a bogus doctor as per section 33 of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961, which is a cognisable and non-bailable offence, and action should be taken as per the provisions of this Act.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Prasad Kulkarni, Executive Council member of MAPPM told Medical Dialogues, "We got multiple reports of her signing reports at several labs. When we found out about the unethical practice, we filed a complaint. During investigations, we found that since 2013, she has been registered with the Telangana Medical Council."

Regarding action from the council, Dr Kulkarni said, “Although the MMC has acknowledged our complaint, it clarified that the matter is not within its jurisdiction. As a result, the council forwarded the complaint to the Telangana Medical Council.”

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