New Delhi: The Supreme Court directed the Union Government on Wednesday to issue appropriate orders immediately for the tests of Covid- 19 at free of cost, even in private hospitals laboratories.

Supreme Court also said that the current charges though capped at Rs. 4, 500 will be beyond the reach of the poor. It would examine later whether the private entities, carrying out the tests free, would be entitled to reimbursement, said SC. The private hospitals too have an important role to play in containing the scale of the outbreak by extending Philanthropic service in the hour of national crisis, said SC.

SC also said that we find prima facie substance in the submission of the petitioner at this time of national calamity permitting private labs to charge Rs. 4, 500 may not be within the means of large part of population and no person be deprived to undergo the Covid- 19 tests due to non- payment of capped amount of Rs. 4, 500. Supreme Court Justices Ashok Bhushan and S. Ravindra Bhatt said that 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 the ICMR.

The SC also passed a slew of directions to the Centre and the States to ensure safety and security of doctors and medical staffs, saying that they are the warriors against the Covid- 19 and the first line of defense of the country to combat the pandemic.