The charges for RT-PCR test for COVID-19 has gone up in private labs by ₹200.
Following an order by the High Court, the State government has re-fixed the RT-PCR test charges for COVID-19 in the private sector at ₹1,700. There will be no change in the charges for other testing modalities.
The government had earlier re-fixed the RT-PCR rate at ₹1,500 for the private sector. This had been challenged in the HC by private sector labs and hospitals, which claimed that given the costs of lab reagents and consumables, they could not afford to perform the test at the rates fixed by the government.
The rates for XpertNat would continue to be ₹2,500, TrueNat ₹1,500, RT Lamp ₹1,150 and Rapid Antigen Assay ₹300. The charges would include PPE kit and swabbing charges, a statement issued by the Health Minister said.
All government hospitals would continue to conduct COVID-19 tests free of cost.
