Congress leader Ahmed Patel questioned that why should the ICMR buy a kit imported at Rs 245 for Rs 600, in the midst of the epidemic. He said that nobody should be given benefits at the cost of the poor and hopes that government makes it clear.
The Modi government and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are under the question regarding the purchase of Corona Antibody Rapid Kit. The Congress has raised the question as to why ICMR had to buy the antibody test kit imported for Rs 245 for a whopping Rs 600 per piece.
What the Court Says
However, the Delhi High Court has ordered that Wondfo antibody test kit should not be sold at a rate above Rs 400, given the current situation. The court has said in its order that testing is very important to control corona virus, so it is equally important to sell the test kit at the lowest rate.
The High Court has ordered the three private companies, who have contracted to bring 10 lakh kits from China to India. Actually, this petition was filed in the Delhi High Court on behalf of Rare Metabolics Life Sciences Pvt Ltd and Arc Pharmaceuticals. The case of inflated prices came into highlight yesterday, when the Importer of test kits and its distributor had a dispute over the pricing.
There are claims that ICMR was already aware of the inaccuracies being observed in these kits worldwide, but still they went for its purchase, without any delay. The members of the committee have stated that they were never consulted by the ICMR on their decision.
