Against the backdrop of India having one of the lowest testing rates for Covid-19 globally, it is time to ask some questions about the gov...
Against the backdrop of India having one of the lowest testing rates for Covid-19 globally, it is time to ask some questions about the government’s approach to approving, sourcing and authorising use of diagnostic kits for the disease. There really is no dispute how important a role widespread testing plays in our ability to contain this public health emergency.
Any long-term plan to deal with this pandemic requires access to enough accurate diagnostics kits that can test not only the presence of the Covid-19 virus in the population but also the presence of antibodies in patients who may have recovered from Covid-19 infection.
Any policy for diagnostic kits must have four components – quality of the diagnostic, restrictions on use of the tests depending on availability, technology transfer and price. Only some of these questions are scientific while the rest are political decisions that are better made by the political leadership. However, there appears to be confusion in various circles on which public authority is responsible for making decisions in regard to these tests.
For example, as reported by Scroll.in, there appears to be a rift between the Kerala government and the Indian Council for Medical Research on testing strategies for Covid-19. Even Karnataka, a Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state, appears...
