SC order on COVID test humanitarian in intent, impractical to implement: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

New Delhi, Apr 9 () Biocon Ltd Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Thursday said it is "impractical" to implement the Supreme Court's order to make all coronavirus tests free, expressing concern that it will lead to plummeting of tests as private labs cannot run their business on credit.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that COVID-19 tests in approved government labs or private laboratories should be conducted free of cost and that the Centre should immediately issue directions in this regard.

The apex court had also said private hospitals, including laboratories, have an important role to play in containing the scale of the pandemic by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis.

Mazumdar-Shaw, however, offered a contrarian view to that of the apex court through her tweets.

"Humanitarian in intent but impractical to implement - I fear testing will plummet," she said referring to the order of the apex court.

She described the order as "a judgement that will severely affect testing. Pvt labs simply cannot be expected to run their businesses on credit".

On Wednesday, a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat, which heard the matter via video conferencing, said that tests relating to COVID-19 or coronavirus must be carried out in NABL accredited Labs or any agencies approved by WHO or ICMR. RKL ANUANU