FIR against Delhi hospital for not using RT-PCR App for COVID-19 sample collection

A prominent Delhi hospital Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has landed in further trouble with Delhi Police registering a case against it on charges of violating norms of COVID-19 testing set by Indian Council of Medical Research.

The FIR came on a complaint filed by Delhi government's Deputy Secretary Amit Kumar, alleging that the hospital was not using RT-PCR app for collecting COVID-19 samples as mandated by the ICMR.

The lab at the 675-bed Sir Ganga Ram Hospital was among the six laboratories which have been issued show cause notice earlier this week by Delhi government. The state government also barred these labs from collecting samples. Recently, the hospital was declared a COVID-19 hospital.

According to the FIR, guidelines for tracking and monitoring of every COVID-19 suspected case in various accredited labs had mandated that sample collection could be done only through RT-PCR App.

“The CDMO cum Mission Director (Central) has mentioned that Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is still not using RT-PCR App even till June 3, which is a clear violation of directions issued under Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulation 2020 Act,” the FIR claimed.

On the complaint filed on June 3, Delhi Police has registered a case under Section 188 (disobeying the directions of a public official) of Indian Penal Code. No one has been named in the FIR.

Reacting to this, Chairman of Medica group and FICCI Health Services Committee Alok Roy said, "Calling it a black marketeer is not a way to treat an institution which has provided great humanitarian services over last many decades".

"There must be some misunderstandings, the government should look into it in detail to resolve and clarify this on priority. It is our appeal to the Delhi government that at this stage, both- government and private institutions must work together to overcome the pandemic. Finding faults will not help, let’s work with maturity and patience to fight this disease together," Roy said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, without naming hospitals, had said that some of these facilities have been indulging in black marketing of beds and six private labs were barred from testing COVID-19 samples as they were violating norms.