The Maharashtra Association of Practising Pathologists and Microbiologists (MAPPM) has asked the ICMR to withdraw an advisory making it compulsory for private laboratories to get accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) to do antigen COVID-19 tests, arguing that the NABL accreditation is not the only criteria for accurate reports. MAPPM president Dr Sandeep Yadav has written to ICMR in the matter. "Many laboratories have been denied permission for lack of NABL accreditation. This is contradictory to the Centre's observation that in some States/ UTs, the capacity utilisation of testing labs, particularly in the private sector, is grossly sub-optimal," said Dr Yadav.

He said there are 761 labs approved by ICMR but not accredited by NABL in the public sector. "So, NABL accreditation cannot be the only criteria for quality and accurate reports. Otherwise, these laboratories need to be stopped too," said Dr Yadav.