(G.N.S) Dt. 28
Ahmedabad
In a exclusive talk with GNS news, Ahmedabad Medical association (AMA) President – Dr. Mona Desai has said that We have filed the PIL as the government is yet to act on HC decision even after four days of the order. Testing cannot be stopped or decreased in anyway as it would be more risky and threatful. We can’t put ours and patients’ lives in jeopardy.
Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA) has filed a PIL in the Gujarat High Court against the state government decision that prohibits private laboratories from conducting Covid-19 tests unless permission is granted by nodal health officials.
The PIL will be heard along with the suo motu plea on May 29. Earlier on May 22, HC had directed the government to allow private laboratories to carry out testing, however, it is yet to act on it.
AMA PIL stated that, “This is not only resulting in complications in patients, it is also increasing their suffering and putting the entire medical fraternity at risk. On May 25, Dr Aditya Upadhyay, an orthopaedic surgeon, passed away at SVP Hospital. Dr Upadhyay had con-tracted the virus while operating upon a patient who was Covid-19 positive, which the doctor or the patient were not aware about as the patient could not be tested due to the restrictions in place.”
It further said, “The situation is worsening with each passing day. The inaction of the government and its apathy towards the patients, citizens and the medical fraternity has left the association with only two alternatives: either to go on an indefinite strike or to approach this court. Going on strike, in the present situation, will do great disservice to patients and hence the plea.”
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved 17 private laboratories in Gujarat, including seven in Ahmedabad, to conduct Covid-19. As per the latest guidelines released on May 17, a doctor or a hospital shall take permission of government nominated health officials to conduct atest on patient and priority will be given to the government laboratories. Earlier, private laboratories could out carry tests based on prescription of doctors and hospitals.
Earlier, the state government had opposed testing by private laboratories on the grounds that it may lead to 70% of the population testing positive which may lead to fear psychosis. However, the high court didn’t accept it. “The argument that more number of tests that may lead to 70% of the population testing positive for Covid-19, thereby leading to fear psychosis, should not be a ground to refuse or restrict testing,” the bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and I J Vora had said in the order on Saturday.
The court had said, “All private laboratories able to fulfil the prescribed criteria as regards the infrastructure must be granted permission to conduct the RT-PCR tests. Everyone must be permitted to get coronavirus test done.”
