Updated: October 27, 2020 2:45:08 pm
A medical worker collects a sample to test for Covid-19 in New Delhi. (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)
The government of Maharashtra has further reduced the prices of Covid-19 tests, which will now cost less than 1,000 rupees. For the fourth time, the Uddhav Thackeray-led government cut rates on Monday, which have now seen a four-fold decline since March, when the tests were priced at around 4,500 rupees.
The real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test now costs Rs 980 for anyone entering a laboratory, Rs 1,400 for samples collected from Covid-19 care centers, hospitals or dispensaries, and Rs 1,800 if the swab is collected. from home.
The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has left it to state governments to decide the cost of testing for Covid-19. In most government facilities, testing for Covid-19 is free. Here’s a look at how much testing costs in the states of India:
Karnataka
In an order dated October 16, the Karnataka government set the fees for Covid-19 testing at Rs 800 for an RT-PCR sample sent by the government to a private laboratory; 1,200 rupees for samples delivered privately to private laboratories; and Rs 1,600 for samples collected at home and delivered to private laboratories. The government said the maximum rates set included screening and confirmation tests, as well as the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Kerala
The Kerala government has reduced the RT-PCR test rates (open) to Rs 2,100. Before 2,750 rupees. The GeneXpert tests have been revised to Rs 2,500 from the previous Rs 3,000. Tru-nat, which used to be 3,000 rupees, is now 2,100 rupees. Antigen tests remain the same at Rs 625.
Andhra Pradesh
In July, the Andhra Pradesh government set the price for Covid-19 testing for samples tested in both government and private clinics. The rapid antigen test in private laboratories costs no more than Rs 750, including equipment, PPR and labor costs.
Sample from patients with negative but symptomatic results should be sent to tied VRDL laboratories for retesting by RT-PCR machine. In such a case, the patient should not be charged more than Rs 2,800 per sample.
Telangana
The Telangana government has capped RT-PCR testing for private centers at 2,200 rupees for samples collected in laboratories or hospitals. Samples collected at home cost Rs 2,800.
west bengal
The government of West Bengal, in a “bid gift” In early October, it lowered the price for Covid-19 tests in the private sector from Rs 2,250 to Rs 1,500.
Assam
Covid-19 testing at all government facilities is free. However, since September, the government has introduced a paid RT-PCR testing option at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati and at certain government medical colleges for those who want their test results urgently, that is, on time. 24 hours. The rate is set at 2,200 rupees per test, but authorities said it is likely to drop. For those who prefer results without urgency, the tests are still free.
Meghalaya
The Meghalaya government removed the free trial facilities as of October 16. Currently, the rapid antigen test costs Rs 500 and the RT-PCR and Tru-NAT tests are set at Rs 3,200. However, the rates apply only in each case: BPL families are exempt, as are high-risk contacts of those who tested positive and those in containment zones.
Gujarat
The government of Gujarat in September he cut rates of RT-PCR tests performed by private laboratories for Rs. 1,000. The charges are currently Rs 1,500, up from Rs 2,500. Similarly, charges for obtaining test samples collected at home by laboratory technicians have been set at Rs 2,000, which was Rs 3,000 to date.
The government is encouraging people to undergo rapid antigen testing (RAT) at no cost at stations set up throughout the state.
Rajasthan
In June, the Rajasthan government had set limits on the extent to which private laboratories and hospitals in the state could charge patients for Covid-19 testing along with treatment for the disease. According to that notification, the limit in private laboratories was 2,200 rupees.
Tamil nadu
The cost of an RT-PCR test in Tamil Nadu is Rs 1,500 for beneficiaries of the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. It is 2,000 rupees for non-beneficiaries, and an additional 500 rupees will be charged to both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries for collecting samples at the door.
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