Get ICMR nod for tests, HC tells labs

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday allowed private diagnostic laboratories to test people for Coronavirus infection and permitted private hospitals to treat Covid 19 patients.

The court, however, said private organisations must be approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for testing or treating people for

Covid-19 disease.

The order was pronounced by the division bench, comprising Justice M.S. Ramchandra Rao and Justice K. Lakshman, giving its judgment in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Ganta Jaikumar, who sought a direction to the Telangana government to permit all private hospitals to treat patients for

Covid-19.

From Page 1 The bench has also set aside the order issued by the Telangana medical and health department that restrained private hospitals from extending medical aid to Covid-19 patients and also restrained private laboratories from conducting tests for the highly infectious disease. The court, however, said the private healthcare facilities must take permission from the ICMR for testing or treating people for Covid-19. It also directed the ICMR to nominate qualified and experienced persons to ascertain whether the private organisations possess the required infrastructure to test or treat people for Coronavirus. This exercise, the court said, must be completed within the shortest possible time in view of the grave urgency and rising cases of Coronavirus infections and deaths caused by it. The court said all possible precautions should be taken by the ICMR-approved private laboratories and hospitals to take good care of people suspected of infection or those tested positive for Covid-19 disease.