The National Committee against Fascism and Imperialism has urged the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) to take immediate action regarding approval of Gonoshasthaya Kendra developed rapid Covid-19 testing kits.
The anti-fascism body said this in a press release jointly issued by its President Akmol Hossain, and General Secretary Hasibur Rahman, on Monday.
“The non-cooperative attitude of the DGDA has created dissatisfaction and concerns despite Gonoshasthaya Kendra’s efforts to handover their GR Covid-19 Dot Blot test kits,” the release said.
Terming the scientists working at the Gonoshasthaya Kendra as “talented,” the release read: “The national initiative to fight the pandemic will be disrupted if the drug authorities continue their non-cooperation.”
However, the roles of several other government organizations were praised in the release for supporting the initiatives taken by Gonoshasthaya Kendra.
The leaders of the National Committee against Fascism and Imperialism urged the DGDA to again make arrangements for the approval of the Gonoshasthaya Kendra made test kits for the sake of the people.
As of Monday, Bangladesh confirmed 5,913 coronavirus cases with the death toll rising to 152 after seven new fatalities were reported.
The fast spreading Covid-19 has so far killed 208,000 people in more than 200 countries and territories.
Earlier, on Sunday, the DGDA had refused to accept the samples of Gonoshasthaya Kendra’s rapid Covid-19 test kits despite a team from the organization directly approaching the concerned authority.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra officials claimed that the drug administration rejected their kits without citing any valid reason.
However, the government said that Gonoshasthaya Kendra had violated the proper procedures required to secure approval for their test kits.
Commenting on the issue, Maj Gen Md Mahbubur Rahman, director general of DGDA, said that they currently have no plans to use the Covid-19 rapid test kits provided by Gonoshasthaya Kendra as they are yet to get the World Health Organization’s (WHO) approval.