Rapid Antigen Tests To Be Provided In All Govt Dispensaries, Priority Will Be Given To Special Surveillance Groups: Delhi Govt Informs Delhi HC [Read Order]

The Delhi Government will further ensure that the Special Surveillance Groups are tested on priority.

The information was given to the Division Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad in a plea seeking ramping of testing facilities in Delhi for COVID19.

Today, the court was informed that the Director General of Health Services, Delhi Government, has asked all the hospitals run by the Delhi Government to undertake Point of Care testing in the form of Rapid Antigen Detection Test of eligible individuals in terms of an Order issued on 5.7.2020.

In addition to this, an order has been passed by the said department on July 09 which mandates private hospitals to ensure that RAT test is conducted in respect of all the eligible individuals.

Mr Satyakam, who appeared for the Delhi Government, further submitted that the process of conducting sero-surveillance has concluded and now the government is awaiting the report from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Delhi Government was conducting sero-surveillance, the process of collecting testing samples from concentrated areas, to find out as to whether the community transmission has taken place or not.

In addition to this, the Indian Council for Medical Research submitted that 450 applications have been received from private hospitals and laboratories in Delhi for seeking authorization to undertake the RAT test, out of which 150 applications have been allowed and 300 applications are pending on account of certain procedural formalities required to be completed by the applicants.

The Petitioner, at this point, submitted that the computed statement filed by the Delhi Government does not reflect as to how many persons who had undergone the RAT tests and turned out to be COVID negative, were made to undergo the RT PCR test.

He further stated that the said figures will correctly reflect the extent of ramping up of tests that the Government of NCT of Delhi claims it has done.

In light of these submissions, the court directed the NCDC to reveal the analysis arrived at on the basis of Sero-surveillance sample testing undertaken all over Delhi.

The matter will next be taken up on July 16.

Case Title: Rakesh Malhotra v. GNCTD

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