Bengaluru: To encourage citizens to undergo COVID-19 testing, the Technical Advisory Committee has now recommended the issue of fixation of rates for the following tests to be charged by the private laboratories and has ordered to fix the rates accordingly.

In a press release here, S. Honnamma, Joint Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department has said: Sample collection and transportation of government and private samples to the testing lab-Rs.400. RT-PCR test for Government referred samples to private labs-Rs. 800. 

RT-PCR test for privately given samples to private labs when samples are given at labs- Rs.1,200. RT-PCR test for privately given samples to private labs when the samples are collected by the labs at home/residence-Rs.1,600. 

TRU-NAT test for privately given samples at Private labs-Rs.2,200. TRU-NAT test for privately given samples to private labs when the samples are collected by the labs at home/residence-Rs.2,600. CB-NAAT test for privately given samples at private labs-Rs.3,800. 

CB-NAAT test for privately given samples to private labs when the samples are collected by the labs at home/residence-Rs.4,200. Rapid Antibody  Test/ELISA for privately samples at private labs-Rs. 500. Rapid Antibody Test for privately given samples at private labs-Rs.700.

The ceiling rates fixed included screening and confirmatory tests as well as the cost of PPE kit. Only for RT-PCR test government samples should be given to private labs. 

Testing can be done only in the ICMR approved laboratories and all other conditions laid down by the ICMR and the State Government should apply, she said.

Stern action: Medical Education and Health Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar has warned of stern action against private laboratories that will charge more than the rates fixed by the State Government for COVID-19 testing. He has tweeted “Technical Consultative Committee has fixed the rates for Coronavirus and all private laboratories must collect the same from the general public. Any lab which will collect more from the people will be dealt with severe action.”