HC asks Jharkhand to move Centre for more Coronavirus testing kits

Ranchi - The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to approach the Centre for providing it with more COVID-19 testing kits as the present strength of the equipment is not sufficient.

The bench of Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad also directed the state government to set up testing facilities at more places.

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In response to a March 31 letter emailed by senior counsel Inderjit Sinha, the bench had on April 3 asked the state government about measures taken by it to contain COVID- 19 and the availability of protective equipment and testing kits.

The court on Tuesday heard submissions of the counsels of the Jharkhand government and state-run the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here.

"We have heard the parties. Reply has been filed on behalf of the State as well as RIMS, Ranchi and reply of Union of India was already available on 03.04.2020.

"However, having only 5000 testing kits and more than 1,50,000 persons having been quarantined till date, in our opinion, that number of testing kit is not sufficient.

Therefore, the State Government should approach the Central Government for providing more testing kits and for creating testing facilities at more places," the bench said in its order.

The court said it has hope that the Centre would take adequate steps if the state government approached it for more testing kits and testing facilities.

The bench observed said that people are required to be monitored intensively and it should be ensured that they did not come out from their homes.

The court said the number of private homes where people have been home quarantined was not clear from the advocate general''s submission.

The bench sought further reply from the state on April 17 when the matter would be heard again.

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