After Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi government set to halve RT-PCR testing price

Delhi government is probably going to greater than halve the testing price of the confirmatory RT-PCR take a look at, which is priced at Rs 4,500. Delhi government has initiated talks with non-public diagnostic centres and non-public hospitals with connected laboratories to talk about the testing price.

The transfer follows an advisory by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director-general Balram Bhargava, who has written to chief secretaries of all states that since costs of testing kits had dropped, ICMR was taking away the price cap of Rs 4,500. He had requested all states to “fix mutually agreeable prices”.

At the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in March, ICMR had put a price cap of Rs 4,500 for RT-PCR take a look at, which is taken into account the gold normal for confirmatory exams. Delhi government sources indicated that the take a look at may quickly be priced between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500.

So far, the take a look at is free for all people at a government facility however prices Rs 4,500 at non-public healthcare amenities. If the government refers naso pharyngeal samples to a personal laboratory, the latter will get Rs 3,500 from the government. “This price was fixed at a time when testing kits were in short supply and had to be imported,” a senior Delhi well being providers official instructed ET on situation of anonymity.

“With so many vendors now approved and the kits being indigenously produced, the price can be brought down.”

According to sources, Union well being minister Dr Harsh Vardhan can be informally urging non-public diagnostic centres in Delhi to scale back the associated fee. The non-public laboratories, nevertheless, really feel {that a} lower in price would severely compromise the standard.

“For every test, the phlebotomist has to wear a new PPE,” the proprietor of a South Delhi-based laboratory instructed ET. “There is an additional cost of transportation and a particular medium in which the sample needs to be maintained. We are already conducting these tests at no-profit basis.”

Delhi government, nevertheless, is enthused by discount of take a look at price in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Both the states have introduced down the take a look at price to under Rs 3,000. – Daily Mail India