BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday further reduced the cost of Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) from Rs 450 to Rs 100 following the significant fall in the price of antigen test kits. In a notification the Health and Family Welfare department said, the maximum price for RAT by private laboratories and hospitals has been refixed at Rs 100, including GST.
The tests will be conducted by private laboratories under the supervision of Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar following ICMR guidelines, the notification stated. On December 2, the Health department had capped the cost of RT-PCR tests by private laboratories at Rs 400. Both the tests are free at government facilities.
Although, the price of RT-PCR and RAT at private labs is now the lowest in the country, patients claimed that private hospitals continue to charge thrice the prescribed price of RT-PCR and double the earlier cost of RAT test. No action is being taken against the private entities despite repeated complaints, they alleged.