As the whole world is struggling with the deadly CORONAVIRUS – COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India has taken a very progressive step in making sure that the coronavirus testing is available to all.
As per the sources, the Supreme Court has asked the central government to make coronavirus testing free of charge in private labs by an interim order.
According to the Economic Times, while the government facilities are doing the testing for free, the tests in private labs are capped at Rs 4,500 per person.
The interim order was given while the court heard a petition from Advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi. The bench found prima facie substance in the claim by the petitioner that the charges might not be affordable for most people. The bench mentioned:
“Private hospitals including labs have an important role to play in containing the scale of the pandemic by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis.”
Additionally, the Supreme Court bench has also directed that the test needs to be only carried out by labs certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing ad Calibration Laboratories or agencies approved by the WHO and the ICMR.
The bench has sought the government’s views on this while passing the interim order. As the next step, the government will respond to the court notice in two weeks, we have to sit with fingers crossed.
Because, in a country, where almost 22% of people live under the poverty line, it could turn out a very important step in our fight against Coronavirus.