Gurugram: Use of rapid test kits put on hold till further notice

The use of rapid testing kits (RTKs) has been further put on hold until the Indian Council of Medical Research issues its final advisory, the state health department

The use of rapid testing kits (RTKs) has been further put on hold until the Indian Council of Medical Research issues its final advisory, the state health department said on Saturday. Officials said that the country’s apex health research body is still checking the efficacy of RTKs manufactured by international and domestic companies.

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Haryana, which has placed an order of 100,000 RTKs with a South Korean firm, has put it on hold after the government procured 25,000 kits from the company earlier this week, the officials said.

On April 21, the ICMR had asked states to stop using the RTKs for next two days so that it could examine their accuracy in the backdrop of several complaints that they are faulty.

“We are waiting for the advisory to be issued by the ICMR on the use of rapid testing kits. We have procured 25,000 antibody test kits from a South Korean firm with its plant in Manesar. The stock is enough even if we are asked to conduct antibody tests from next week,” Rajeev Arora, additional chief secretary, health department, told HT.

The Haryana government, earlier this week, received 10,000 kits from China, which were distributed in the hot spot districts – Gurugram, Nuh and Hathin in Palwal to check suspected Covid-19 patients. In Gurugram, at least 66 people, including 30 journalists and six from the Sohna containment zone, were tested for coronavirus with the help of RTKs after they showed symptoms of cough and fever. All the samples tested negative.

On Wednesday, state health minister Anil Vij said that the Chinese kits were overpriced. “A kit from China costs Rs 780, while the RTK manufactured by the South Korean firm in Manesar costs Rs 380, almost half the price,” Vij had said.

Indian ambassador to South Korea Sripriya Ranganathan had visited the manufacturing facility of SD Biosensor in that country on April 21. The Indian embassy in its tweet wrote: SD Biosensor has just started production from its Manesar facility with a capacity of 500,000 rapid test kits per week. This will be further enhanced in the coming weeks to meet the growing demand.