ICMR Director General BalramBhargava on Monday advised the use of hydroxy-chloroquine for health workers engaged in the medicare of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases and the asymptomatic household contacts of lab-confirmed cases to shield them from the infection. The treatment protocol recommended by the National Task Force has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India for its restricted use in emergency situations. Bhargava said 12 private laboratory chains have already been registered and have started working. These 12 labs have about 15,000 collection centres around the country and more laboratory chains are being added, he said. The process of kit manufacturing too has been fast-tracked at the ICMR-NIV, Pune, he said in a news conference, adding that two kit manufacturers have already been approved. “I’d like to clarify that FDA/CE approval isn’t mandatory. ICMR-NIV-approved tests which will be done there on a fast-track basis will also be acceptable for the Covid-19 testing,” Bhargava said.
