The Narendra Modi led government has now allowed “high quality” accredited private labs to conduct the assessments of coronavirus samples to ramp up its capabilities for COVID-19 tests.
Roche Diagnostics India — the Indian subsidiary of Swiss multinational company Roche — on March 24, got permission for the check licence for SARS CoV-2 diagnostic test.
Swiss firm Roche Diagnostics India acquired the license for engaging in coronavirus tests on March 17, after approval from drug regulator Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), making it the first private organization to get such permission after the government determined to allow certified private labs to check for COVID-19.
The test licence granted to Roche Diagnostics India allows them to import select portions of the Cobas SARS Cov-2 diagnostic, take a look at kits for product performance evaluation. Following the success of the entirety of the evaluation, a selection and approval from the government will permit them to commercialise the kits in India.
Roche says its package will give effects in 3 hours.
The kits developed by way of the corporations are deliberate to be bought to personal diagnostic chains which include Dr Lal Path Labs, SRL Diagnostics and Metropolis Healthcare, amongst others, to start community testing to hit upon the virus that has claimed 14 lives and infected at the least 648 people in India so far.
Eighteen companies, both Indian and otherwise, have got licences from the DGCI to conduct COVID-19 diagnostic assessments in the country.
Most of these firms have additionally sought approval from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for commercialisation of kits and are looking forward to a go-in advance within a month.
The Union government on March 23, authorized 14 private labs to conduct COVID-19 detection tests.
The Indian Council of Medical Research said that 14 private-lab chains have registered after being allowed for COVID-19 testing; they have 15,000 collection centres.
The list consists of five labs in Maharashtra, two each in Haryana and Tamil Nadu, and one each in Delhi, Gujarat and Karnataka.
On March 22, the ICMR had approved testing at three greater facilities, including two in Pune and one in Mumbai.
The central government endorsed that the maximum charge for each COVID-19 check through private laboratories should now not exceed Rs 4,500.
All private laboratories that have NABL accreditation for real-time PCR SA for RNA virus might be allowed to conduct COVID-19 tests. In line with the marks issued by the ICMR for COVID-19 testing in private laboratories, which have been notified with the aid of the Union Health Ministry on March 22.
Amidst the rising panic and the number of cases across the country, it is more than urgent for the labs to be approved and get on with the testing. India being extremely different demographically, culturally and economically than all the other countries affected by this, it is already 100 folds challenging for us to cope with this situation.
The steps taken by the government should be adhered to and practiced while keeping in mind the diligent work should be kept up in the direction towards combating the virus. No country should go through what Italy went as a result of the spread of this virus.
One can only pray and take precautions while the government and the designated people work towards creating a solution.
