As the number of COVID-19 cases in India have surpassed the 9,000 mark, India has still not received the five lakh rapid testing kits it has ordered from Chinese companies.

As many as 2.5 lakh of the total kits were expected to be delivered by April 9. However, they have now been delayed to early next week.

India had reportedly placed the order for five lakh rapid testing kits on March 30. Several states have been waiting to receive the kits to ramp up their screening and testing. Many of them have also been permitted to order kits on their own.

Meanwhile, the government-owned HLL Lifecare is all set to produce 20,000 rapid testing kits daily at its Manesar factory.

In a advisory issued by the Centre, it announced the starting of rapid antibody testing on April 4, and revised the testing guidelines on April 9 to include rapid testing of all symptomatic individuals in hotspot areas.

The Indian Council of Medical Research later said that the manufacturers had assured them that the kits would be delivered by April 8 or 9. However, the Health Ministry on April 10 said: ‘The kits haven’t reached yet but could reach anytime now.’

On Saturday, Dr R Gangakhedkar, head, epidemiology and communicable diseases at ICMR said that the manufacturers had assured the Indian government that the kits will reach in a couple of days.

‘The tests will show whether a person has been exposed to the virus and whether the virus is still inside the body,’ Gangakhedkar said. ‘This has two advantages: in hotspots, it gives you an idea about the spread of the disease; and in healthcare workers, it reduces the fear factor by telling you whether the person has become immune and can get back to work,’ he added.

Neither the health ministry nor ICMR have provided any reason for the delay in the delivery of kits.

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