BENGALURU: From today, citizens can walk into 33 major diagnostic centres in the city and get MRI and CT scan tests done at a reduced and uniform cost. While the cost of a single region MRI (upto 1.5 tesla) has been fixed at Rs 4,500, a brain CT (plain or contrast) scan will now cost only Rs 2,300.
The list of the diagnostic centres, which will be charging as per the new rate, includes Anand, Elbit, Isha, Kanva and Medicity.
Association of Diagnostic Centres Bengaluru (ADCB) announced the decision to cap the test rates on Wednesday. As many as 45 diagnostic centres are members of the association.
“To ensure that people don’t suffer during medical emergencies and the industry’s reputation doesn’t get affected due to difference in prices at different centres, major diagnostic centres have decided to reduce the costs of CT and MRI scans,” stated the association in a release.
Welcoming the move, Thomas Chandy, director and chief of orthopaedics of Hosmat, said, “A 1.5 tesla MRI now costs anywhere between Rs 5,500 and Rs 7,000. A price cap of Rs 4,500 at 33 diagnostic centres will be of great help to patients. Hospitals can’t be expected to follow suit because of their high overhead expenses.”