THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government’s plan to augment Covid-19 tests on a public-private partnership is set for a bumpy ride as the slashing of test rates has not gone down well with some private laboratories. The state had reduced the cost of Covid tests on July 2, based on the direction of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). As per the revised rates, private laboratories can charge Rs 2,500-Rs 2750 for RT-PCR test, as against Rs 4,500 fixed earlier. The rates of other tests like XpertNAT and TrueNAT have also been revised.
According to the state health department, the ICMR had directed it to negotiate with private labs and fix mutually agreeable prices for samples sent by the government and also for private individuals referred by registered medical practitioners for testing.Though the government claims that the health department had convened a meeting on June 19 with all private labs conducting Covid tests before rate revision, the Kerala Medical Laboratory Owners’ Association (KMLOA) has come out saying none of its representatives was invited to the meeting. It said the rate revision was impractical for most of the labs.
“The revised rates may not be feasible for all. The government says that the price of test kits has come down. But that’s not true. Companies that supply reagents for RT-PCR are yet to slash the price,” said KMLOA president Balachandran. “Take the case of RT-PCR, which is the gold standard in diagnosing Covid-19. The state government has now reduced its rate to `2,750 (open system) and `2,500 (if referred by the government to private labs). A price reduction of this kind is unacceptable,” said a representative of KMLOA.“With the revised rate, labs won’t be able to meet the expenses for the machinery, manpower to carry out the procedure and the precautionary measures needed for the same,” the representative said.
State to go ahead with revised rates
According to the Kerala Medical Laboratory Owners’ Association, labs have to pay a minimum of `50,000 for the microbiologist doing the testing and have to incur additional expenses for sample collection and for providing protective gear for the technician. Meanwhile, the health department said it is going ahead with the rate revision. The ICMR had asked the states to reduce the rates saying the prices of testing kits have become competitive and undergone reduction as compared to the initial days of the pandemic.
New rates
RT-PCR - Rs 2,750 (open system) and L2,500 (Sample referred by the government)
XpertNAT Test- Rs 3,000
TrueNAT Test step I - Rs 1,500
TrueNAT Test step II (only for those who test positive in step I) - Rs 1,500