Has the Tamil Nadu chief secretary let the cat out of the bag

Has the Tamil Nadu chief secretary let the cat out of the bag? While briefing the media in Chennai on Saturday, after the conclusion of the state cabinet meeting, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K Shanmugam said there is a delay in receiving the rapid antibody test kits Tamil Nadu had ordered because the consignment, meant for India, had been diverted to the United States by China.

The bureaucrat informed that the state had placed an order of a total of 4 lakh test kits with the Centre, of which 1 lakh was expected from China. Shanmugam said though the production of rapid antibody test kits was limited to China, it had sent one consignment to the USA.

This could possibly explain the constant delay in India receiving its order of 5 lakh rapid antibody test kits that it had placed with a Chinese firm on March 28.

At least four deadlines for delivery have been missed so far, adding to India’s wait for conducting more tests to detect the spread of Covid-19 among its citizens.

Rapid antibody tests are quicker and inexpensive alternative to the standard RT-PCR tests being conducted currently in the country.

The advisory to start rapid antibody-based blood tests for Covid-19 was issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on April 4. It authorised for the tests to be conducted in areas reporting clusters (containment zone) and in large migration gatherings/evacuee centres.

But the first order for the rapid antibody test kits was placed on March 28, and since then deadlines have only come and gone.