Govt. will absorb the cost of testing in private laboratories

14 government labs are already offering it

Chennai; 07/04/2020; Health Secretary of Tamilnadu Beela Rajesh. PHOTO: PK_PRAVEEN

The government would coordinate with private laboratories to provide testing facilities for COVID-19. It would also absorb the cost of testing in private facilities, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh has said.

The Supreme Court had declared that private testing centres must not charge people for carrying out COVID-19 tests, in order to make the tests accessible to all. But the private sector was deeply uncomfortable with the idea. The Tamil Nadu government has now decided to absorb the costs of testing in private laboratories, thereby making testing for COVID-19 completely free in the State.

As of now, 14 government laboratories, including the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research; the laboratories at the Madras Medical College, Chennai; government medical colleges in Theni, Tirunelveli, Tiruvarur, Salem, Coimbatore, Villupuram, Madurai, Tiruchi; IRT Perundurai and Dharmapuri; the Stanley Medical College; and the ESIC Medical College in Coimbatore are offering tests.

Private institutions that have testing facilities include CMC Vellore; Apollo; Neuburg Erlich Laboratory; SRMC, Chennai; Microbiology Laboratory, Coimbatore; YRG Care, Taramani; Hi Tech Diagnostic Centre, Chennai; MIOT Hospital, Chennai; and Madras Medical Mission Clinical Laboratory Services, Chennai.

In addition to these facilities, Jipmer’s laboratory had been declared as a ‘mentor facility’ for Tamil Nadu. It would also test samples for the State, Dr. Rajesh added.

8 doctors infected

Noting that eight doctors, including four in private sector and two each in government hospitals and government railway hospitals, had been infected so far, she appealed to the people to understand that healthcare workers were putting their lives on the line to treat the sick. According to her, at least five nurses had also been infected by the virus. “I appeal to family members to maintain social distance. Doctors decide on segregating high-risk patients. Even when patients have to share a room, a distance of 10 feet between beds is maintained. We have made a strict rule that family members should not mingle with those who have tested positive,” she said.

The government would receive approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research to start plasma therapy in a couple of days, she said.