State hesitates on antibody testing over accuracy and protocols

Awaiting the arrival of around 40 lakh rapid antibody test kits from countries like South Korea and France, various states have started using the locally-manufactured kits approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). However, Maharashtra seems to be dithering on even inviting tenders from the available ICMR-approved firms. There are five such manufacturers, including one that assembles a South Korean kit in India.

Despite topping the national coronavirus tally with 16,758 Covid-19 positive cases, the state says it's still expecting clarity on the accuracy of the kit following the withdrawal of the reportedly faulty Chinese test kits. This is often despite the last week’s order by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay court, which directed the state to undertake rapid antibody tests with available reliable kits provided by Indian companies.

A state-based NGO Hopes India wrote to the BMC on April 30, eager to donate 1,000 antibody test kits manufactured by Medsource Ozone Biomedicals Ltd. However, the civic body reluctantly agreed to simply accept the donation when Mirror called officials yesterday. consistent with Medsource’s director Prateek Mittal, the firm has already sold over 150,000 kits to Punjab, Haryana, and Jharkhand, while tenders are issued by Kerala and Karnataka.

The central team asks cops and BMC to enforce rules strictly

As the numbers in Mumbai keep increasing rapidly, the central government sent a second team of health department officers to the town to see the preparedness of the authorities against Covid-19. The team has asked the police and therefore the BMC to enforce the lockdown during a far more strict manner.

The team consists of a joint secretary, Ministry of Health, Lav Agarwal, Health Department director Kunal Kumar, and two scientists.

On Thursday, the team first visited Seven Hills hospital in Andheri which may be a Covid-19 treatment facility then to Dharavi.

Here the committee spoke to a number of the residents who were told that it had been not just the BMC’s fight, it had been also the people’s fight against Covid-19. Sources said that the Central team appreciated the fever clinics found out by the BMC.

Later the committee visited the Worli NSCI dome where a treatment facility has been found out.

The committee later had a gathering with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta.

Thereafter, the committee visited the BMC headquarters from where they had a video conferencing with the police. They told the police and BMC that the lockdown must very strictly be enforced and other people shouldn't be allowed to roam the streets.