Madras HC closes plea seeking direction to authorities on setting up mobile COVID-19 testing booths
A division bench recorded the submission of seniorcentral government panel counsel who said the plea was filedwithout being aware of the fact that mobile testing was not afeasible one.
The PIL was filed by advocate A Amal Antony who alsowanted the court to direct the state to form a committee tohelp the homeless and pavement dwellers and to conductCOVID-19 tests on them and provide appropriate medicaltreatment, besides making RT-PCR testing free or to charge anaffordable fee of Rs 500 or less.
According to petitioner, the tests that have beendone by the government for COVID-19 was not sufficient to meetthe requirements of the masses, on account of the density ofthe population of the State.
The petitioner also submitted that the DefenseResearch and Development Organization (DRDO) in collaborationwith the Employees' State Insurance Corporation MedicalCollege and Hospital, Sanathnagar (Hyderabad) has developedIndia's first COVID-19 sample collection mobile lab-- "MobileBSL-3 VRDL Lab", which was approved by ICMR, and the facilitymay be extended to the downtrodden people.
The Centre submitted that between January 25 to May6 , 91,985 RT-PCR Kits, 38,038 RNA extraction and 22,900 VTMswere supplied to the Tamil Nadu government.
The Kits were duly approved by agencies includingUS-FDA besides being validated by NIV-Pune for conductingCOVID-19 tests.
The State also on its part filed a detailed counterexplaining the steps taken to test the COVID-19 affectedpeople.
"A perusal of the counter and the status reportsmakes it clear that the Central and State Governments havebeen taking all necessary steps for extending COVID-19 testingfacility to more and more people day by day.
Thus, the prayers sought for by the petitioner aresatisfied," a bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and PushpaSathyanarayana said and closed the petition. COR BNWELCOME BNWELCOME