Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Pune has issued a circular to all the chemists and other medical retailers instructing them to maintain a record of all the customers buying self-testing COVID RAT kits.
The move comes amid rising COVID-19 cases in the state. Many people have taken to self-testing and are hiding their COVID-19 positive reports, fearing hospitalisation by the state government.
The records will contain a person's name, address, contact number and the details of the kit purchased by them. They will be checked by drug inspectors and also will be furnished when demanded by medical officers.
The circular issued by the FDA Joint Commissioner (Drugs) SB Patil reads, "It has been observed that many symptomatic people are buying corona test kits from medical stores for checking samples at home. However, they are not informing the same to authorities fearing hospitalisation by the government. So to stop such practice, FDA Pune through this circular mandates the chemist to maintain the record of such buyers."
Circular also states that the customer buying the COVID test kit should be asked to inform the local medical officer if the test result is positive.
Earlier Maharashtra government's health department wrote to the district and civic officials to monitor the sale of such kits and ensure that patients report their infection to the authorities. These directions were given by the Additional Chief Secretary of health department of Maharashtra Government Pradeep Vyas on Wednesday to Municipal Corporation, District Collectors and officials of Zilla Parishad via a letter.
( With inputs from ANI )
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