Make Covid testing free in pvt hosps: SC

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:09.04.2020

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the government to issue appropriate orders immediately for free of cost testing for coronavirus even in private hospitals and laboratories, saying the current charges — though capped at ₹4,500 — will be beyond the reach of the poor.

The court said it would examine later whether the private entities, carrying out the tests free of cost, would be entitled to reimbursement. The apex court said private hospitals too have an important role to play in containing the scale of the pandemic by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis.

The court also passed directions to the Centre and states to ensure safety of doctors and medical staff saying they are the warriors against coronavirus and the first line of defence of the country to combat the pandemic.

‘Pvt labs should act generously in this hour of national crisis’

The court said, “We find prima facie substance in the submission of petitioner that at this time of national calamity permitting private labs to charge ₹4,500 for screening and confirmation test of Covid-19 may not be within the 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 ₹4,500.”

“The private hospitals, including laboratories, have an important role to play in containing the scale of the pandemic by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis. We thus are satisfied that the petitioner has made out a case for issuing a direction to the respondents to issue necessary direction to accredited private labs to conduct free of cost Covid-19 test. The question as to whether the private laboratories carrying free of cost Covid-19 tests are entitled for any reimbursement of expenses incurred shall be considered later on. We further are of the view that tests relating to Covid-19 must be carried out in NABL-accredited labs or any agencies approved by ICMR,” a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat said.

The court also passed directions to the Centre and states to ensure safety of doctors and medical staff saying they are the warriors against coronavirus and the first line of defence of the country to combat the pandemic.

The court expressed concern over incidents of attack and harassment of medical staff involved in treating Covid-19 patients and said all citizens have to act in a responsible manner to extend a helping hand to the government and medical staff to perform their duties to contain and combat the deadly virus.

Full report on www.toi.in

HELPING HAND: Punjab police personnel prepare food in a community kitchen to serve the needy in Amritsar on Wednesday