17-18-04-21 Daily-Gujarat-GPSC Current Affairs

Taking into account the uncertainity of how long Covid-19 pandemic is likely to last, the Gujarat on Thursday asked the State Government to ramp up testing and create permanent RT-PCR testing and CT scanfacilitiesin smaller districts in the coming days.
The court has also sought a report on Covid testing that is going on at present across the state. The judges insisted that the government should promote entrepreneurs by extending loans to establish laboratories with RT-PCR testing facilities, which require nearly Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.

While thAMCs drive-through testing initiative, the judges said that they were more concerned with testing facilities available for common man at the grassroot level. They asked the government if the common mans five-day long wait for RT-PCR testing has been reduced. The government answered in the affirmative, but also submitted that the laboratories have been overwhelmed with the rush, and this also causes delay in declaring results.

The judges also pointed out that the government affidavit did not talk much about testing facilities in smaller districts. The Advocate General said that except Dangs, all districts have RT-PCR facility.

Advocate Amit Panchal countered this and submitted that six districts Dangs, Tapi, Narmada, Gir-Somnath, Mahisagar and Dwarka do not have this facility. Justice Bhargav Karia of the division bench pointed out that a major district like Anand also did not have this facility, and people come to Ahmedabad for testing. The government said that there are two facilities in Anand district including one facility for TrueNat system.