Rajasthan stops COVID-19 rapid tests, says Health Min Raghu Sharma

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma said that the state has stopped conducting rapid tests for COVID-19 as the accuracy of kits from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is "questionable".

"We had received rapid testing kits from ICMR and it was used in Rajasthan. We formed a committee of the head of our Microbiology Department and head of our Medicine Department to see if these tests are effective. Its accuracy was supposed to be 90 per cent, but it turned out to be 5.4 per cent," Sharma said.

"We did not leave any procedural loophole. We kept in mind ICMR guidelines for testing. Still it did not meet the standards, so we stopped the rapid tests. We have written to ICMR that we will not conduct it as the accuracy is questionable. We are waiting for a reply," he added.

This comes as 52 more COVID-19 cases were reported in Rajasthan, taking the total cases in the state to 1,628, the state health department said on Tuesday.

Among the new cases, 34 cases were reported in Jaipur, five in Jodhpur, four in Bhilwara, two each in Dausa, Jaisalmer and Tonk and one each in Jhunjhunu, Nagaur and Sawai Madhopur.

According to the health department, 25 people have died due to COVID-19 while 205 have recovered.

( With inputs from ANI )

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