Free testing for COVID-19 available for those eligible under Ayushman Bharat Yojana: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday, partially modified its April 8 order, and said that free testing for COVID-19 shall be available to persons eligible under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana as already implemented by the Government of India.

The top court also said that any other category of economically weaker sections of the society as notified by the Government for free testing for COVID-19 hereinafter will also get the benefit.

The Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, may consider as to whether any other categories of the weaker sections of the society, e.g., workers belonging to low-income groups in the informal sectors, beneficiaries of Direct Benefit Transfer, etc., will be eligible for the free test or not, the apex court said.

Apart from those covered under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana, others are also eligible for the benefit of free testing and issue appropriate guidelines in the above regard also within a period of one week, the apex court said today while modifying its April 8 order.

The private labs can continue to charge for testing of COVID-19 from persons, who are able to make payment of testing fee as fixed by the ICMR, the SC said.

The Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, may issue necessary guidelines for the reimbursement of the cost of free testing of COVID-19 undertaken by private labs and necessary mechanism to defray expenses and reimbursement to the private labs, said the top court.

The Supreme Court has asked the Central government to give appropriate publicity to this and its guidelines to ensure the coverage to all thoseeligible.