SC asks govt approved, pvt labs to conduct Covid-19 tests for free

The top court issued orders on a PIL seeking a direction to the Centre and authorities to provide free of cost testing facility for Covid-19 to all citizens in the country

The government should immediately ensure free-of-cost coronavirus tests in state-approved labs or private ones, said the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Private hospitals and laboratories have to extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis, said a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat, which heard the matter via video conferencing.

"We, thus, issue following interim directions to the respondents: (i)The tests relating to Covid-19 whether in approved Government Laboratories or approved private Laboratories shall be free of cost. The respondents