New Delhi, Apr 8 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Union government to take steps to make testing for novel coronavirus free for public.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat suggested the government to draw a mechanism to
reimburse private labs conducting Covid-19 tests.
At present, the government has fixed the price of the test at Rs 4,500.
“Don’t allow private labs to charge high amount for tests. Create mechanism for reimbursement (of private labs) from government,” Justice Bhushan suggested.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government will study the feasibility of the Top Court's suggestions.
The court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi which claimed that the government hospitals are full of their capacity, making it difficult for a common man to get tested in the government labs and with no alternative, forced to turn to private labs.
It also said that lack of accessibility violates Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Mehta said daily 15,000 tests were being done by 118 labs, but this was not sufficient. Private labs had to be roped in and the government has involved 47 private laboratory chains so far, he further stated.
UNI XC PS SHK1840