In a major decision to make Coronavirus testing more affordable, the Delhi government has put a cap on the price to be charged for RT-PCR tests at all private laboratories in the city. According to news agency ANI, the maximum cost for an RT-PCR test to be charged by private laboratories in the city has been fixed at Rs 800 by the government.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a statement, quoted by ANI, said that his government has issued directions to reduce the price to be charged for RT-PCR tests in the city. Kejriwal while announcing the decision said that it will come to the aid of those residents who want to get themselves tested at private testing facilities. Kejriwal also said that those patients who are getting themselves tested at the government facility are not charged anything for the test.
A formal order has been released from the Delhi government’s Health and Family Welfare Department asking all laboratories to charge not more than Rs 800 for the RT-PCR test. The order, signed by the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare department, has also asked all laboratories to display the rate of RT-PCR test at a prominent spot at their laboratories. In addition to the residents who get themselves tested at the private laboratories, many private- and government-run hospitals also use the services provided by the private laboratories to test the samples of their patients. The order released by the department made it clear that the cap on the maximum charge for the RT-PCR test will benefit both the hospitals as well as residents who use the facilities of the private laboratories.
