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Health officials initiate parallel probe into pathology reports signed by deceased doctor
The Pune district civil surgeon has initiated an inquiry and is expected to visit the laboratories named in the complaint to verify records.
PUNE: Officials from the public health department and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have initiated a parallel investigation into the controversy wherein pathology reports of patients were found to have been signed by a doctor months after his death, raising concerns over regulatory gaps in diagnostic services and patients’ safety. The Pune district civil surgeon has initiated an inquiry and is expected to visit the laboratories named in the complaint to verify records.
Dr Nagnath Yempalle, Pune district civil surgeon, said, “We have initiated a detailed inquiry into the matter. I will personally visit the concerned laboratories on Friday to verify records, registers and reporting practices. If any irregularity or violation is found, appropriate action will be taken as per existing provisions,” he said.
Similarly, the PMC health department will examine two laboratories named in the complaint that fall under its jurisdiction namely Swargate and Narhe.
PMC health chief Dr Nina Borade, said, “Two laboratories named in the complaint fall under the PMC’s jurisdiction and will be inspected by our health team. We will verify records, reporting practices and compliance. At the same time, we are examining the regulatory gaps as there is no specific law governing pathology laboratories at present. We are exploring what provisions can be invoked to ensure accountability and protect patient safety.”
According to officials however they are grappling with a grey area legally speaking, as there is currently no dedicated law that directly governs the functioning and regulation of pathology laboratories. The state government has decided to bring all diagnostic laboratories under the supervision of the public health department and a government resolution (GR) in this regard is expected to be issued soon, officials said.
The case pertains to a Pune-based pathologist who died on November 20, 2025 whose signature continued to appear on multiple laboratory reports issued till January 2026. The matter came to light after patients submitted these reports while filing health insurance claims, prompting an insurance company to flag discrepancies and alert the Maharashtra Association of Practising Pathologists and Microbiologists (MAPPM).
A preliminary inquiry by the association revealed that reports bearing the deceased doctor’s signature were issued by laboratories and private hospitals across multiple locations, including Bhosari, Swargate, Narhe, Daund and Ahilyanagar, including Shevgaon and Shrigonda. President of the association Dr Sandeep Yadav has complained to Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi and Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) seeking a detailed probe and strict action against those responsible.
