Ministry of Health is on the mission to increase the pace of testing of coronavirus in India. Indian Council of Medical Research is inviting applications from all the government and private medical colleges for setting up the COVID-19 testing facilities.

The Supreme Court has asked the government to make COVID-19 tests free by the 65 private laboratories.

On this Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and managing director of Biocon, the largest Indian biopharmaceutical company says that the private labs have already instructed to conduct the tests on the government-specified rate. To make COVID-19 test free in private labs will be challenging especially in the current scenario.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said that private laboratories employ a large number of people. The livelihood of several people is tied to the viability of the laboratories. Any move that makes them downsize is the last thing that anyone will want in the current economic crisis.

She added further that they also have to build inventories of kits which they cannot do on credit. There is no reason why any people who could travel abroad is not in a position to pay the fixed price of Rs 4,500 for the test. Alternatively, if they are not in a position to pay, they can get their insurance companies to pay for it.

What if private laboratories offer the tests for free and the government reimburses it? “This can only happen over a while and the issue before the laboratories is to fund current expenses, which include running the current operations, paying staff and building the testing kit inventory, she added.

Challenges private labs are facing in this crisis

The private labs are saying that they are facing a huge decline in their revenue. Cashflow heavily affected due to other routine tests sharply declined.

The doctors in the private labs are confused on whether to conduct the tests or not. They are waiting for further clarity from the Ministry of Health. No laboratory can afford such an expensive test for free. It’s not the matter of one or two patients. There are thousand of the coronavirus positive patients emerging daily.

Along with the kit cost, the travelling cost also involved in the tests. Many technicians are not willing to go to collect the samples. And now all the doctors are suggesting COVID-19 tests based on the common symptoms.

 

 

Purpose of including private labs

The main purpose to include the private labs is to increase the speed of testing as well as to cover the large area in less time. The private labs have already instructed to conduct the tests at government-specified rates.

About Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

According to Wikipedia-

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (born 23 March 1953) is an Indian billionaire entrepreneur. She is the chairperson and managing director of Biocon Limited, a biotechnology company based in Bangalore, India.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

About Biocon Limited

According to Wikipedia-

  • Biocon Limited is an Indian biopharmaceutical company based in Bangalore, India. The Company manufactures generic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that are sold in over 120 countries [no proof provided] across the globe, including the developed markets of the United States and Europe. It also manufactures novel biologics, as well as, biosimilar insulins and antibodies, which sold in India as branded formulations.
  • Founded in 1978
  • Founder- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
  • Headquarters- Bangalore, Karnataka India.

Biocon Limited, Banglore