Mumbai: BMC issues guidelines for COVID-19 self-testing kits; here's all you need to know

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation issued new guidelines to the manufacturers, suppliers and sellers of home antigen testing kits in Mumbai on Wednesday. The move comes after the civic body learnt that most cases tested with home-test kits have not been reported to the ICMR, and as a result, there has been no tracking of such patients and the infection has been spreading to their contacts. The new guidelines have been necessitated in order to keep track of such person/ patients, to contain the spread of the virus, the civic body has said.

“In the reference 1st cited, Government of India has asked to increase the tests for Covid and has also informed that for increasing the number of tests, Rapid Antigen Test will play an important role. In the reference 2nd cited, Government of India and ICMR have given Covid Testing Protocol, wherein again Rapid Antigen Test plays an important role.

It is expected that all Covid positive tests either through Rapid Antigen Test Kits or Home Test Kits will be reported to ICMR by the concerned Laboratory / Individual through a mobile app,” reads the guideline issued by BMC.

Moreover, the civic body has given a different role to manufacturers, distributors, pharmacists, dispensaries and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where each one of them has to follow the guideline by providing details of home-test kits sold to customers.

“Antigen kit manufacturers, distributors shall give information of the number of kits sold to the Chemists/ Pharmacy/Medical stores / Dispensaries based in Mumbai in Form ‘A’ to the Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on email id whogmp.mahafda@smail.com as well as to Epidemiology cell of MCGM on the email id: mcgm.hometests@ gmail.com. Similarly, Chemists/ Pharmacy/medical store / Dispensaries shall give the details of Home Testing Antigen Kits sold to customers in Form ‘B’ to the Commissioner, FDA on email id whogmp.mahafda@gmail.com as well as to Epidemiology cell of MCGM on email Id mcgm.hometests@ gmail.com by 6pm every day,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani.

Kakani further said the FDA would monitor the distribution and selling of home-testing antigen kits of all chemists/ pharmacy/ medical stores and distributors to the citizens of Mumbai. The commissioner, FDA, would also educate chemists/ pharmacies / medical stores / dispensaries to inform the person purchasing kits to report the test reports on the given app. “These guidelines will come into force from today (January 14). Any violation of these guidelines may invite penal action which may kindly be noted,” he cautioned.

Published on: Thursday, January 13, 2022, 11:25 PM IST