Directions by the Delhi High Court to all the private hospitals in Delhi have been called upon to reserve 20% beds for admitting COVID-19 patients, be equipped with labs to conduct the COVID-19 test with the sanction of the ICMR to do so and then should proceed to conduct tests on symptomatic/asymptomatic persons, who seek admission in the hospital for undergoing surgeries/procedures of other nature as well.
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Indian Council for Medical Research has been directed to file a status report indicating the number of applications submitted by accredited labs in Delhi, seeking permission to conduct COVID-19 test and the status of the said applications bythe Division Bench of Justice HimaKohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad.
The order had come in a PIL filed by Mr Rakesh Malhotra seeking a direction to be issued to the Delhi Government to ramp up the testing facilities for both the symptomatic and asymptomatic patients of COVID19.
There are 17 labs in the public sector and their current combined capacity for undertaking COVID-19 tests is 2,900 per day and in the private sector, 23 labs have been permitted to conduct the test and their combined capacity of testing is 5,700 per day, informed the Delhi Government in its status report, Today.
On the other hand, the list of the private sector laboratories mentioned in the said status report is incorrect as the Delhi Government has disallowed about 6 laboratories from undertaking the tests which includes Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the petitioner submitted.
There has been a phenomenal spike in the number of cases in Delhi. Even as per the Delhi Government, it is expected that the cases will rise to 50,000 by 15th June, 2020 and to 5,50,000 by 30th July, 2020, informed the petitioner to the Court.
The court directed all the 23 private labsmentionedrelating to undertaking tests in the status report, to file affidavits stating as to whether they have been permitted to undertake tests for suspected COVID-19 patients by adopting the RT-PCR test or the CB-NAAT test. They shall also point out the difficulties, if any, faced by them on account of any bureaucratic red tapism, to unlock the Controversy.
On or before June 15, all these private labs are supposed to file the affidavits.
‘It appears that Delhi is fast heading towards becoming the Corona Capital of the country, an epithet the city can well do without. We are of the opinion that it is the need of the hour that all the private hospitals in Delhi, who are equipped with a lab to undertake COVID-19 test, be permitted to do the testing, without any further loss of time. This is all the more imperative as the Delhi Government has directed all the private hospitals in Delhi to reserve 20% beds for admitting COVID-19 patients‘ Observed the Court.
Read the Order:
