Notices to 15 private labs for not conducting single antigen test

Aurangabad, Jan 14:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has today issued a show cause notices to 15 private laboratories in the city for not conducting a single rapid antigent test (RAT) and RT-PCR tests, so for. The notice questioned them why their registration should not be cancelled ?.

The AMC has granted permission to 39 private laboratories to conduct testing of Covid suspects. However, 24 labs were found functioning and the above 15 of them had not conducted a single RAT/RT-PCR test. Hence, the action of serving notices has been initiated against them, said the municipal officer of health (MoH) Dr Paras Mandlecha.

It so happened that the state's public health department has issued a GR on dated December 6, 2021 regarding fixing of maximum charges of Covid tests in state's NABL and ICMR registered private laboratories. Accordingly, the city's 39 private labs sought permission from AMC for testing. They were instructed to charge Rs 100 if the person visits the centre for testing, Rs 150 if the sample is collected from the other testing centre and Rs 250 if the testing is done by visiting home. Despite taking permission, these 15 laboratories had not conducted a single test, so far, said Dr Mandlecha.

List of 15 labs

MIT Hospital, Asian City Care, Marathwada Lab- Roshan Gate, Militiary Hospital - Chawani, Yeshwant Gade Hospital - Garkheda, IMA Hall-Near Shani Mandir, Ganesh Laboratory Services-Pundaliknagar, Orion City Care, Amrut Pathology Lab - Jalna Road, Sumanjali Nursing Home, Unicef Pathology Lab - Bhadkal Gate, Krishna Diagnostic, Lal Path-Samarthnagar, Kasturi Lab- Garkheda and Sahyadri Hospital, Cidco N-2 sector.