COVID19: SC Seeks Centre's Response On Plea Challenging Government Advisory Of COVID Testing At INR 4500

A bench comprising Justices LN Rao & Deepak Gupta directed the petitioner to supply a copy of the petition to the Solicitor General via email & listed the matter for next week.

Shashank Deo Sudhi had filed the petition which stated, inter alia, that there was an urgent need for ramping up testing facilities of COVID19 in light of the "escalating mortality" & "morbidity rate" across the country.

In light of this, petitioner averred that the advisory issued by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on March 17, 2020, which fixed the price of testing & screening kits of the deadly virus at INR 4500 in private labs and hospitals is "unreasonable", "discriminatory" & antithetical to Article 21 & 14 of the Constitution of India.

"That the Respondents are insensitive and indifferent to the plight of the common citizen of the country who are already financially burdened on account of completely locked down with no possibility of being unlocked in recent future. The financial suffering being caused by the respondent No.3 by issuance such arbitrary advisory dated 17.03.2020 fixing Rs 4500/- testing and confirming including screening of covid-19 in private hospitals/labs are discriminatory and unreasonable, depriving the accessibility of medical facilities to the common citizen violating the right to life guaranteed under article 21 of the Constitution of India"—the petition has averred.

Further to this, the petitioner seeks the Court's intervention in declaring the aforementioned advisory ultra-vires of the Constitution & prays for it to be struck down.