Plea in top court against making pvt lab tests free

NEWDELHI: Asking private laboratories to conduct Covid-19 tests free may act a disincentive in their continued functioning, in the process posing a risk to the people’s health, according to a plea filed before Supreme Court, seeking a modification of its April 8 order.

NEWDELHI: Asking private laboratories to conduct Covid-19 tests free may act as disincentive in their continued functioning, in the process posing a risk to the people’s health, according to a plea filed before Supreme Court, seeking a modification of the apex court’s April 8 order directing non-government labs to not charge money for the tests.

The plea by a Delhi-based doctor, Kaushal Kant Mishra, on Friday submitted that only economically weaker sections should be tested free for the coronavirus disease and the government should reimburse the labs immediately after such tests are conducted.

“If the Government does not provide immediate reimbursement to the private laboratories, there is a real risk that the laboratories may stop testing for Covid-19, thus posing a direct and inevitable risk to the health of persons across India through unknown transmission and contraction of the disease,” the plea by Dr. Mishra said.

Besides seeking modification of the April 8 order, Dr. Mishra also sought installation of pathogen laboratories in local municipal and panchayat areas so that free testing by the government can be ramped up.

The SC on Wednesday made tests for Covid-19 in private laboratories free, and asked the government to pass the necessary orders to make this possible.

According to a March 17 advisory by the Indian Council of Medical Research, private labs were allowed to charge up to Rs 4,500 to test people for Covid-19.

Advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi had moved the SC seeking free testing for Covid-19.

“We find prima facie substance in the submission of petitioner that at this time of national calamity, permitting private Labs to charge Rs4,500 for screening and confirmation test of COVID-19 may not be within means of a large part of population of this country and no person be deprived to undergo the COVID-19 test due to nonpayment of capped amount of Rs.4500,” the court ordered on Wednesday.

THE PLEA BY A DOCTOR SOUGHT A MODIFICATION OF THE SC’S APRIL 8 ORDER DIRECTING PRIVATE LABS TO NOT CHARGE MONEY FOR THE COVID-19 TESTS