In line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s steadfast commitment to enhancing healthcare in Uttar Pradesh, the state government is actively engaged in the procurement of over 32.92 lakh rapid diagnostic testing kits to facilitate effective testing and diagnosis of viral diseases in the state.

Instructions have been issued to the Uttar Pradesh Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (UPMSCL) in this regard and the e-tendering process has already begun to select the supplier.

It is worth noting that the tenders are being issued for a one-year supply period, paving the way for the supply of rapid diagnostic testing kits required for testing many types of viral diseases in the state, including the Rapid Plasma Reagin process.

The tendering process for selecting the supplier was initiated by UPMSCL on October 21. A pre-bid meet has been scheduled for November 2, while interested supplier companies can submit their tenders until November 20.

The tendering process has been divided into two phases. In the first phase, technical bidding will be completed while in the second phase financial bids will be finalised. To participate, suppliers are required to pay a processing fee of Rs 5,900 plus GST and submit 20 units of their kits to UPMSCL for quality assessment.

This tendering process will be carried out as per the rulebook of the Uttar Pradesh government, and the managing director of UPMSCL will monitor this process.

Rapid diagnostic testing kits play a pivotal role in efficiently diagnosing a variety of viral diseases. Currently, the Uttar Pradesh Medical Supplies Corporation Limited is focusing on the supply of several types of these kits, including 25 lakh kits in a year as dual test kits for HIV and syphilis. At the same time, 2.02 lakh kits will be procured in a year as rapid diagnostic kits for HIV testing.

Besides, a total of 5.90 lakh kits of Rapid Plasma Reagin (RDT) will be supplied throughout the year. These kits will be capable of monitoring the condition of the entire body through serum and plasma determination of HIV1 and HIV2 subtypes and Treponema pallidum. At the same time, these kits will also be effective in completing the testing process based on enzyme immunoassays, agglutination, and other principles.

The quality of the kits will be determined based on the standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). The supply contract will be formalised as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (Price Control) of the country.