NHA plans to empanel ICMR accredited laboratories for COVID-19 testing
May 25, 2020
By Priyanka Sharma
New Delhi [India], May 25 : The National Health Authority (NHA) is in the process to empanel ICMR accredited laboratories on the board to enable COVID-19 testing facility for Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) beneficiaries.
The global pandemic of coronavirus has shattered the nation with 1,38,845 cases and an unfortunate 4021 deaths so far. Hence, the NHA in its policy decision has planned to make COVID-19 testing mandatory for all AB PM-JAY beneficiaries that are currently registered under SARI/ COVID-19 packages as per ICMR guidelines.
Dr JL Meena, General Manager, Hospital Networking and Quality Assurance at AB-PMJAY confirmed the development. He said: "NHA has opened a process for empanelment of ICMR accredited laboratories to COVID19 testing at affordable rates for the beneficiaries of AB-PMJAY admitted due to COVID-19 or SARI like symptoms.'
"Any laboratory applying for empanelment must be ICMR accredited and will be currently empanelled only for COVID-19 RT PCR test and COVID-19 antibody test only,'' Dr Meena said.
Recently, Dr Indu Bhushan, CEO of NHA informed that under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, about 2,300 patients have received treatment for COVID19 free of cost in various hospitals and atleast 3,000 people were tested against coronavirus in the last one and half months.
Since its launch in September 2018, the Ayushman Bharat has provided treatment to 1 crore patients. These treatments worth Rs 13,412 crore have been provided through a growing network of 21,565 public and private empanelled hospitals.
To manage the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, AB-PMJAY is monitoring and conducting tele consultations for PM-JAY high-risk beneficiaries through Aarogya Setu Tele-Consultation, monitoring and tracking of SARI treatments and responding to queries on 1075 COVID national helpline number, the official said.
