The Supreme Court on Wednesday, asked the Centre to ensure that the testing facility for Coronavirus should be free of costs for the citizens.  It observed that the government should create a mechanism wherein private laboratories conducting COVID-19 tests do not charge exorbitant fees  and reimbursements should also be made to people for the tests.

Currently, private laboratories are charging for the coronavirus test, though the prices are capped at Rs 4500.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat was hearing a plea filed by advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi seeking a direction to the Centre and authorities to provide free of cost testing facility for COVID-19 to all citizens in the country.

The top court suggested the government to explore the feasibility of a mechanism to reimburse private labs for coronavirus tests so that citizens don’t have to pay for it.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the centre, told the court that he will take instructions on this front.

The petitioner, advocate advocate Shashank Deo said, “It is extremely difficult for the common citizen to get himself/herself tested in the government hospital /labs and being no alternative in the sight, the people are constrained to pay the capped amount to the private hospital/labs for protecting their lives.”

According to the plea, the impending danger of coronavirus is extremely serious, given the deprived population of the country, and testing is the only way to contain the pandemic. It alleged that authorities are “completely insensitive and indifferent” to the plight of common citizens who are already financially burdened on account of complete lockdown across the country.

“Further, the capping of the prices of the testing facility of COVID-19 in private hospitals/labs strikes at the Article 14 of the Constitution of India as being arbitrary and unreasonable,” it said and urged that the March 17 advisory be declared arbitrary.

It also sought a direction for ensuring that all tests relating to COVID-19 are conducted under the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) or ICMR accredited pathological labs.

It said,  “ICMR should be directed to hold regular news briefings through national TV channels about the current situation on coronavirus and precautions to be taken by the citizens.”

The plea also sought for instructions for the authorities to ensure adequate numbers of testing kits and centers for COVID-19 across the country.