All asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic patients should also be tested for COVID-19: Former IMA chief

Dr KK Aggarwal, former Indian Medical Association Chief has filed a petition in Delhi High Court challenging the Delhi government's decision of excluding "asymptomatic patients or pre-symptomatic patients" from COVID-19 testing. He contended that since COVID-19 is a notifiable disease it is mandatory for all citizens to get themselves tested for the disease whether the patient is symptomatic or asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic.

New Delhi: Former Indian Medical Association (IMA) chief Dr KK Aggarwal has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Delhi government's decision of excluding "asymptomatic patients or pre-symptomatic patients" from COVID-19 testing.

The Division Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad on Monday will hear the petition of Dr Aggarwal. The former IMA chief is seeking to quash the Delhi government's order dated June 2 stating that getting a medical test done is a "fundamental right" of every citizen.

He contended that since COVID-19 is a notifiable disease it is mandatory for all citizens to get themselves tested for the disease whether the patient is symptomatic or asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic.

The PIL stated that people, irrespective of whether they are infected with COVID-19 or not, who want to get themselves tested for COVID-19 to know whether they are suffering from the deadly disease or not accordingly to take immediate and prompt medical treatment.

It added that the government's order completely "violation and infringes the fundamental right to health of the citizen which also includes the right to avail medical test and treatment".

The plea also mentioned that the number of COVID-19 cases will increase tremendously with the lifting of lockdown and mostly asymptomatic cases, pre-symptomatic cases and mild/very mild symptoms cases will increase exponentially.

"And by not allowing the asymptomatic patients and pre-symptomatic patients to undertake COVID-19 testing, it means the asymptomatic patient and pre-symptomatic patients will not get proper treatment and soon all asymptomatic patient and pre-symptomatic patients will become symptomatic patient," the petitioner stated.

(ANI)