Plea Filed In Top Court Against Order On Free Covid-19 Tests In Private Labs

An orthopedic has filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking modification of the court's April 8 order on free Coronavirus tests in private labs.

The plea, filed by Kaushal Kant Mishra, says if the testing is made free for all, private labs will be overburdened financially and slow down.

Mr Mishra urged the court to allow private labs to do COVID-19 testing "as per the rates stipulated in the ICMR Advisory dated March 17".

He, however, said the labs can do the testing for the EWS categories with immediate reimbursement by the government.

The senior surgeon has also sought a direction to the authorities to "forthwith set up testing labs in all municipalities and panchayat areas".

Supreme Court had in its order observed that private labs need to be philanthropic during a national crisis. Prior to this, the government allowed some private labs to charge Rs 4,500 for screening and confirmation tests for COVID-19.

Mr Mishra's plea said the top court's order has "disincentivised" the labs to continue to function "at a time when testing across the country has to be ramped up".

"In the UK, private labs are charging as much as $425 per test, which is equal to Rs.32,500," the pleas aid.

It said forcing private entities shall create a sharp dip in an "already below par testing rate for COVID-19" and if the government does not provide immediate reimbursement, there is a real risk that the private labs may stop testing for COVID-19.

"The message that has been sent out by the WHO Chief as early as the middle of March is to ''test, test, test''... All countries should be able to test all suspected cases, they cannot fight this pandemicblindfolded," it said.