Judgement of the High Court of Kerala regarding pricing of COVID-19 tests, Kerala, 14/01/2021
Judgement of the High Court of Kerala in the matter of R-Cell Diagnostics and Research Centre & Others Vs State of Kerala & Others dated 14/01/2021.
Petitioners are National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited diagnostic laboratories and research centres conducting various kinds of Covid 19 tests including RT-PCR tests. They are aggrieved by Ext.P6 order by which the Kerala Government reduced the charges for the tests for diagnosis of Covid. The charges for RTPCR (open test) was reduced from Rs.2100/-to Rs.1,500/-.
The bench of Justice P. V. Asha of the High Court of Kerala noted that the petitioners are challenging the authority of the government as well as ICMR - Yet the contentions raised by the petitioners require consideration by the government. The High Court while disposing of the case directed the Kerala government to consider the grievance of the petitioners against Ext.P6 order and to take a decision after affording them an opportunity of hearing within a period of three weeks.