Delhi HC suggests Mohalla clinics, Community Centres should be roped in for COVID-19 testing

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday suggested that Mohalla clinics and Community Centres situated in residential colonies should be roped in for setting up facilities for COVID-19 testing, observing the rise in cases in the national capital.

"We are of the opinion that not only Mohalla clinics, but even Community Centres situated in residential colonies should be roped in for setting up facilities for COVID-19 testing particularly when the number of cases are shooting up on a daily basis," the court said.

A division bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad remark came after it was informed that there are 435 Mohalla clinics out of which 400 are presently functional and about 50-60 of the said Mohalla clinics have been conducting COVID-19 tests after OPD consultation is over.

The court noted that yesterday, 4,473 fresh COVID-19 cases have been detected in Delhi.

"Delhi Government shall ensure that while getting the mapping done, the density of the population in a particular District and the number of Containment zones in a District are taken into consideration and wherever there is quite a distance between the facilities presently set up for testing purposes, the dots shall be connected with the intervention of Mohalla clinics and Community Centres of the area," the court said.

"Necessary compliances in this regard shall be made at the earliest. The requisite number of Mohalla clinics and Community Centres shall be identified in each district and included in the mapping being undertaken by Geospatial Delhi Limited," the court observed.

A copy of the map finally prepared shall be placed on record along with the next Status Report, the court said and listed the matter for further hearing on September 30.

The court was hearing a plea, filed by advocate Rakesh Malhotra, seeking directions to conduct large-scale rapid testing in the national capital for identifying the infected people.

The Delhi High Court has suggested the Delhi government to ramp up testing through RT-PCR as Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) does not give accurate reports and asked the expert committee to conduct a meeting to consider on this regard.

The court noted that the test result conducted through RAT is 60 per cent accurate, which creates a great doubt about the infection in those who are asymptomatic.

The High Court noted that there is an expert committee constituted by Lieutenant Governor and requested the expert committee to conduct a meeting on priority to consider the capacity for RT-PCR testing should be ramped up.

( With inputs from ANI )