New Delhi: In a significant move towards India's fight against COVID-19 pandemic, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has allowed all registered medical practitioners, including private doctors to prescribe for COVID-19 testing.
The development is expected to give a much-needed fillip, at a time, when the government has been constantly emphasizing on the importance of testing.
The Union Health Ministry took the decision after consulting domain experts and state government representatives.
"Through a significant step announced by the central government COVID-19 testing can now be done on the prescription of any registered practitioner and not exclusively by a government doctor," officials in the Health Ministry said.
Till date, only a government doctor can prescribe for a COVID-19 test.
The centre has strongly advised states and Union Territories (UTs) to take all immediate steps to facilitate testing at the earliest by enabling all qualified medical practitioners, including private practitioners, to prescribe COVID test to any individual fulfilling the criteria for testing as per ICMR guidelines.
"The centre has advised states and UTs to ensure full capacity utilization of all COVID-19 testing laboratories. This shall ensure full capacity utilisation of all labs especially the private ones, thus hugely benefiting the people," officials said.
Interestingly, ICMR has also recommended that laboratories should be free to test any individual in accordance with the ICMR guidelines and State authorities must not restrict and individual from getting tested "as early testing will help in containing the virus and saving lives."