06 August 2020 | Common Post Research
Dilemma -free covid 19 testing or paid testing with the changing pattern of the spread of coronavirus.
India has till date as on 9th July, 2020, has tested more than 50 lakh covid suspects. India as on 20th April, 2020 tested more than 9 lakhs person countrywide. India’s central Asian neighbor Turkey on 14th April passed a presidential decree that treatment for coronavirus in Turkey’s public hospitals will be completely free of charge. On 20th April 2020, Turkey had tested more than 6 lakhs person. The shock of experiencing the pandemic and thereafter deploying a measurement to ascertain the intensive and nature of the same lead state and people to question on how testing will be done and at what cost?
On 08/04/2020 Supreme Court of India held
"The private hospitals including laboratories have an important role to play in containing the scale of pandemic by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis. We thus are satisfied that the Petitioner has made out a case for issuing a direction to the Respondents to issue necessary direction to accredited private Labs to conduct free of cost COVID-19 test. The question as to whether the private laboratories carrying free of cost COVID-19 tests are entitled for any reimbursement of expenses incurred shall be considered later on.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 ICMR."
Two important directions were issued
- The tests relating to COVID-19 whether in approved Government Laboratories or approved private Laboratories shall be free of cost. The Respondents shall issue necessary direction in this regard immediately.(
- Tests relating to COVID-19 must be carried out in NABL accredited Labs or any agencies approved by WHO or ICMR.
Read order passed in Shashank Deo Sudhi Vs Union of India and Ors‘Writ Petition (Civil) Diary No. 10816/2020'. Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S. RavindraBhat’s observations in para 7 and 8 are reflected above
| The 8th April, 2020 Order |
The 13th April, 2020 Order |
Within next week |
| The Petitioner challenged the Advisory dated 17.03.2020 issued by Indian Council of Medical Research Department of Health Research, insofar as it fixed Rs. 4500 for screening and confirming COVID-19. The Petitioner also prays that a direction be issued that all the tests relating to COVID-19 must be carried out under NABL accredited Labs or any agencies approved by WHO or ICMR. |
Several private diagnostic centers raise concerns on reimbursement mechanisms and other constraints resulting in modification of the 8thApril, 2020 Order.Hon’ble SC observed"We are seeing that the government is doing its best. We are modifying our order. We are saying that government can decide which categories get free testing,".
The modified order of SC affirms the Indian Govt’sposition that members covered under the Ayushman Bharat health policy are eligible for free testing of covid-19, as are “any other category of economically weaker sections of the society as notified by the government." |
SC urged Centre and Health Ministry to
a) Define reimbursement guidelines for reimbursement of cost of free testing undertaken by private labs.b) Comprehensively and broadly define who will be eligible for benefits of free Covid 19 testing viz other categories of the weaker section of society such as workers belonging to low income groups in the informal sector and beneficiaries of Direct Benefit Transfer over an above the members covered under Ayushman Bharat PradhanMantri Jan AarogyaYojana to be eligible for free testing.
b) Comprehensively and broadly define who will be eligible for benefits of free Covid 19 testing viz other categories of the weaker section of society such as workers belonging to low income groups in the informal sector and beneficiaries of Direct Benefit Transfer over an above the members covered under Ayushman Bharat PradhanMantri Jan AarogyaYojana to be eligible for free testing. |
The discourse whether to allow a uniform free or largely subsidized Covid 19 testing policy for all or to selectively categorize affected people or patients and then urge them to pay have attracted divergent views from economists.
The question looms large as to who should shoulder the responsibility of testing Covid 19 considering a situation of ‘mass testing’? There may be pressing testing requirements which are triggered based on ‘geographic and physical and locational proximity’ across geographic hotspots, containment zones and contact points’ particularly because the asymptomatic cases are growing every day.
How can we factor, levy and collect per person testing cost based on economic condition of people at all point of time? So there may be a large bracket of exceptional circumstances wherein such testing cost will be difficult to apply which needs detailed structuring and a prudent mechanism to be laid down as Covid 19 may blow across India for coming several months to come.