Coronavirus: AAP, Congress demand opening of private hospitals for testing suspects

Warning of a worsening COVID-19 crisis in the country, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged the government to allow private hospitals and labs to conduct tests in order to ensure access for all the people, even as the state reported its first case of novel coronavirus death.

Calling for a national level fight against the pandemic on a war footing, Singh said he would take up the issue of testing by private hospitals and labs with the Prime Minister on Friday during the latter's proposed video conference with all the Chief Ministers.

With the number of coronavirus cases increasing, the Centre has to consider reviewing its policy, stressed the Chief Minister, making it clear that he did not agree with the current policy of the government of India in this regard.

Given the fact that Punjab had private labs in all the major cities, it was not logical for a corona suspect to have to travel to Chandigarh or some other place to get himself tested from a government facility only, said Amarinder Singh, adding that only in case of doubt should such a person be required to go elsewhere for a second test.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a summit conclave to mark the third anniversary of his government.

 

Earlier in the day, AAP's national spokesperson and Delhi legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj also demanded that private hospitals be ordered to conduct coronavirus examinations for free to check the spread of the outbreak.

 

In a Facebook post, he lamented the long queues at government hospitals which he said instilled fear in minds of those wanting to get tested. "Even if they intend to get tested, they will be put off by long queues, where the risk of contracting the infection may well be higher," the MLA from Greater Kailash constituency said.

 

India's testing rate is said to be one of the lowest in the world, with only three of out every million patients being tested for the new strain of the virus.