THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department has decided to keep the rate of RT-PCR tests for Covid at Rs 500 per test in private labs, despite objections from lab owners. It has also appealed before the division bench against the single bench order, which had allowed a plea challenging the decision to cap the rate for the test at Rs 500.
The High Court on October 4 had set aside the state government’s order slashing the price of RT-PCR tests to Rs 500 from Rs 1,700 at all private labs and asked the government to take a fresh decision within three weeks after holding discussions with the owners of labs. The court kept its order in abeyance for a month to facilitate the talks.
As directed by the High Court, health department officials heard the petitioners at a hearing on October 20, where lab owners stated that they wanted to hike the rate to at least Rs 1,000. However, the department found the demand was not tenable in the wake of reduction in prices of test kits and consumables. It was also found that one of the petitioners voluntarily conducted over 21,000 RT-PCR tests in Thiruvananthapuram airport at the rate (`448.20 per test) fixed by the government.
The test is conducted free of charge in government laboratories. The government decision to keep the test rate low will be a relief to the public, especially those who are in need of a Covid negative certificate before travel.
From Rs 2,750 to Rs 500
The price of RT-PCR was D2,750 to begin with and was reduced to Rs 2,100 in October last year. It was further reduced to Rs 1,500 on January 1, 2021, and revised to Rs 1,700 after a High Court intervention on February 10. Later, the government capped the price at D500 on April 29.