Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticizes the Narendra Modi government for wasting money and time by buying flawless Covid Rapid antibody kits from China. Only five percent of the kits purchased are accurate. Tharoor said it was pointing to the failure of the central government and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in policy and decision making. He asked who was responsible for wasting public money and endangering public health.
“The answer to the problem is that the kits are being developed indigenously as in countries like the US, South Korea and Germany. I have not used the possibilities, ”he said. On Tuesday, the ICMR issued a directive to the states to discontinue the use of rapid antibody tests after complaints of ineffectiveness.
Last week, India purchased 5 lakh Rapid Test kits from two Chinese companies. It was distributed by various states. The health workers’ complaint is that this is not good.
Tharoor said that despite similar complaints from other countries, it was foolish for the government to buy flawless kits from China without learning a lesson. Others repeated the mistake. The government acted without accountability for public health and public money. He said this was indicative of the failure of the government in policy and decision making.