Private labs stop Covid testing after ‘verbal orders’ from Telangana government

HYDERABAD: Private diagnostic laboratories in Hyderabad, which were given permission to test samples for Covid-19, have stopped conducting the tests. According to officials of a well-known diagnostic lab, the testing was stopped following “verbal orders” from the State government officials.

The lab officials, however, informed that they plan to start collection of samples from Monday. The lack of clear information from the State government on a variety of matters regarding Covid- 19 has left many people angry and frustrated in the city with people posting desperate messages on social media asking for help or complaining. Lack of information regarding lab closures is the latest in the series.

With the dramatic rise in Covid cases, many people in Hyderabad are desperate to get tested at private diagnostic labs, as testing is going on at a snail’s pace in government laboratories. The State government in its media bulletin on June 27 informed that the private labs were told to rectify all their mistakes within 48 hours, failing which their operations will be suspended.

However, most of the labs stopped conducting tests from June 28. The State government blamed private labs for the steep spike in Covid-19 cases after government health officials conducted inspections at 16 private diagnostic labs and found that these labs were uploading false information on the ICMR portal.