Free COVID-19 test only for poor: Supreme Court modifies order

New Delhi: The Supreme Court, modifying its order on free coronavirus test at private labs, on Monday said that free testing for COVID-19 shall be available to persons eligible under Ayushman Bharat scheme as already implemented by Centre, and any other category of economically weaker sections of the society as notified by the government for free testing.
The apex court insisted that it never intended to make testing free for those who can afford it and asked the government to issue rules to reimburse private labs for free tests.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and S. Ravindra Bhat said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare may consider as to whether any other categories of the weaker sections of the society e.g. workers belonging to low income groups in the informal sectors, beneficiaries of Direct Benefit Transfer, etc. apart from those covered under Ayushman Bharat are also eligible for the benefit of free testing and issue appropriate guidelines in the above regard also within a period of one week.
The court said the private labs can continue to charge the payment for testing of COVID-19 from persons who are able to pay the testing fee as fixed by ICMR.
The ICMR on Monday had urged the court to withdraw its free coronavirus test order, contending that the interim order passed on April 8, may work to the detriment of the cause the country is fighting. (IANS)