Overview

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed the Delhi High Court that draft standards for the collection, handling and transport of diagnostic samples are ready for official notification
• These draft minimum clinical standards are undergoing legal scrutiny by the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Law and Justice before publication in the Gazette of India
• The court has directed the formal notification process be completed within three months to ensure swift implementation
• Four expert sub-committees covering pathology, biochemistry, haematology and microbiology developed the guidelines following extensive internal deliberations
• The new norms, approved by the DGHS and endorsed by the NCCE, aim to close gaps in ICMR guidance and prevent accreditation mismatches and past testing fraud