India does not stand to lose a single rupee, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday in response to a clarification sought on the alleged profiteering by distributors, exposed through a legal dispute between an importer and a distributor, in the delivery COVID-19 rapid antibody testing kits to it.
According to details provided in the Delhi High Court, the kits procured from China, whose delivered cost was ₹245 a test, were sold to ICMR for ₹600 a test — a mark up of 145%.
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The matter came to light when Rare Metabolics Life Sciences Pvt Ltd and Aark Pharmaceuticals, distributors of Chinese Wondfo Biotech’s kits imported by Matrix Labs, approached the High Court recently to get delivery/payment disputes cleared.
The council, in a one-page clarification, noted that it had not made any payment whatsoever in respect of these supplies — “because of the due process followed (not going in for procurement with 100% advance amount).”
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It should be remembered that this was the first-ever effort by any Indian agency to procure such kits and the rate quoted by the bidders was the only reference point, ICMR stated. “Testing is one of the most crucial