In his Round 2 meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged chief ministers and representatives of 14 states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which accounts for almost 90% of the cases, to expand healthcare infrastructure with utmost priority and focus on testing.
Data proves that timely tracing, treatment, reporting have been helping India to control the coronavirus crisis, PM Modi told the CMs.
On Wednesday, India’s Covid-19 tally crossed the grim 3.5 lakh milestone and recorded 2,003 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The PM has asked the CMs to fine-tune testing, availability of beds, and beef up the health infrastructure as part of a shift in the strategy from lockdown to unlocking.
CMs of New Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana and Odisha, and with the Lieutenant General of J&K attended the meeting on Wednesday.
PM Modi was assisted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
FIXED TESTING COST
The testing cost of the RT-PCR test for detecting coronavirus in Delhi has been fixed at `2,400, the Home Ministry officials said on Wednesday.
Till now, the private labs and hospitals used to charge `4,500 plus registration and consultation fee for a test. Tests in government facilities are done for free. Many states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka have also fixed a cap of less than `3,000 for Covid-19 tests.
-Inputs from Gulam Jeelani
