METROLOGY DEPARTMENT INSISTING ON CALIBRATION OF HOSPITAL WEIGHING MACHINES AND CHARGING FOR IT
Doctors in Nellore recently started receiving calls from Department of Legal Metrology claiming that, in collaboration with Indian Medical Association [IMA], they are doing inspection of weighing machines in hospitals and will charge between 1000 - 1500 for their calibration.
My question is the following - Does the department have authority over medical devices? Does the department provide calibration services for medical devices when they do not have any qualification in the matter? Is it government approved to charge for such calibration & isn't the charge very high?
Under which law & section is the department doing this?
Have any other doctors in any other part of the country received similar calls or is this a scam because none of the doctors have actually been visited by department personnel, only phone calls. more
My question is the following - Does the department have authority over medical devices? Does the department provide calibration services for medical devices when they do not have any qualification in the matter? Is it government approved to charge for such calibration & isn't the charge very high?
Under which law & section is the department doing this?
Have any other doctors in any other part of the country received similar calls or is this a scam because none of the doctors have actually been visited by department personnel, only phone calls. more
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W&M department has full rights to do so under the Legal Metrology Act 2009 and pls. refer to the rules made by state govt. in this case Andhra Pradesh. more
Sep 26
L&M department has the rights to inspect all the instruments (used for all type of measurements) used for selling services to customers. Whether they carry out calibration services is not known. Probably in tie-up with IMA (and a third party vendor) they are doing it. They will charge you only if they have to do a calibration. They are not going to charge for inspection. If you already have your equipment's calibrated along with the valid certificate then you do not need to worry. If you smell that this is a racket, then you can call at their office (L&M or IMA) and verify the call details. If it is not true then at least they will become alert they somebody is using their credentials for criminal activities. Have you also received any letter or notice to this exercise from L&M department or IMA. Generally in case of such a massive exercise they would have sent a notice or would have announced in the press. more
Sep 11
If at all the Department should checkscales at the airport check in counters. recently I was travelling to Kolkata and on checking in I was asked to pay for 3 kgs extra weight. Fortunately I had weighed my bag at home prior to departure and my bag was of the prescribed weight. I insisted and put my bag on another scale by the side. this showedthe lower weight claimed by me and I was not charged . This is a big nuisance as Airlines are becoming very mercenary about excess weight charges, which run into hundreds of Rupees per kilogram more
Sep 03
Usually, now a days, the scales are digital. Most check out if the indicator is at zero. Most know their approximate weight and if there is an anomaly in the weight, it would be pointed out. Normally, doctors/other medical staff themselves go on checking their weights and know if the scale is showing the correct weights. Only some problems will need very close monitoring of weight of patients regularly. Those scales need to be very accurate. As it is health care is becoming very expensive and calibration of scales or any other new requirement imposed by authorities will only add to it. I do not dispute the need for calibration; but at what cost and legal requirement? more
Sep 01
Sir, Digital scales also requires calibration.Just for example if some jeweller or petrol pump sellers scale has problem or tempered purposefully, how much money one can mint in a day by selling less in weight n volume . And how much money he can pocket without our knowledge. Even for hospitals as well. Against the money or the loss it can cause to us n human life this calibration cost is nothing. Ideally as I said all such equipments n instruments must be purchased with NABL certificate n must get recalibrated on or before it's due date by the certified body or by weights n measure Dept. NABL certificate is valid n accepted by the weights measure Dept. more
Sep 02
