Share Reports On Whatsapp For Covid Positive Patients; Upload Within 24 Hours: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court took suo motu cognisance in a PIL and directed that the reports of the patients, who test positive, shall be uploaded on the ICMR portal within 24 hours and the reports of the patients who test negative should be uploaded on the ICMR portal within 7 days.

As the difficulties faced by the patients in getting the reports of RT-PCR test stood pointed out by the Intervener Dr. Mukesh Chandak, the Bench of Justice Z. A. HAQ and AMIT B. BORKAR found that there was delay in getting the reports by the patients because the laboratories were not giving the reports unless the reports were uploaded on the ICMR portal.

The Court therefore ordered for immediate uploading of reports on ICMR portal after making the reports available to the patients on Whatsapp as also hard copy of it.

The Court also cleared that if such directions were not complied with by the laboratories, the authorities would be free to take appropriate action against the concerned laboratories.

As far as uploading of reports on the ICMR portal was concerned, it needed to be done as the data was of utmost importance for the concerned Government and the Authorities to take appropriate decision and action in the matter.