Bombay High Court: The Division Bench of Z.A. Haq and Amit Borkar, JJ., directed that reports for RT PCR test shall be made available to patients on Whatsapp.
Dr Mukesh Chandak, Intervener raised the difficulties that the patients were being subjected to during the upsurge of the COVID-19 pandemic in obtaining the reports of the RT-PCR Test.
Delay in receiving the reports by patients was being caused for the reason that till the time reports were being uploaded on the ICMR website the same was not being provided to the laboratories.
Hence, Court directed for the said reports to be uploaded and made available to the patients on Whatsapp, who tests positive shall be uploaded on the ICMR portal within 24 hours and reports of patients who test negative should be uploaded on ICMR portal within 7 days.
If the above-said directions will not be complied with by the laboratories, Court directed the authorities to take appropriate action against the laboratories concerned.
The said arrangement shall continue until further orders.
In view of the above, civil application was disposed of.[Court on its own motion v. Union of India, Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation 4 of 2020, decided on 15-04-2021]
Advocates before the Court:
S. P. Bhandarkar, Amicus Curiae
D.P.Thakre,Addl.G.P.forState
U. M. Aurangabadkar, ASGI for Union of India Shri Raheel Mirza, Advocate for Intervener
T. D. Mandlekar, Advocate for Intervener
M. Anilkumar, Advocate for Intervener