Gujarat Government has yet again capped the charges for RT-PCR test for private laboratories.
The RT-PCR test would cost ₹700 for samples given at the laboratories or collection centre and ₹900 for samples collected from home or hospital or isolation centres. The revised charges will come into effect from April 20.
Notably, amid a sharp surge in the new infections across the country, several states have tried to cap the charges for Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests at private laboratories.
Capping of charges by other states
Recently, Rajasthan had announced to reduce RT-PCR charges at private labs to ₹350. Uttar Prades has also brought it down to ₹700 and ₹900 for home collection of samples.
In Delhi, the RT-PCR test now costs ₹800 and ₹1,200 for home collection, against ₹2,400 earlier.
Maharashtra has aksi implemented new RT-PCR test rates at ₹500 for samples given at collection centres, ₹600 for a sample collection from Covid Care Centre or a quarantine centre, and ₹800 for samples collected from home.
Many other states have capped RT-PCR test charges at ₹800 for private laboratories, while testing at government facilities is done free of charge.
While most of the tests are being conducted at government hospitals or testing centres free of charge, people wishing to get themselves tested at the private facilities have to pay charges prescribed by the respective state governments.
Testing labs at 33 districts
Nitin Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Gujarat informed that the State has conducted 40,99,578 tests for RT-PCT and about 1.69 crore antigen-rapid tests across the State since the pandemic struck early last year.
"All these tests were conducted free of charge for the citizens. Many citizens are conducting tests at private labs. Currently, the private laboratories charge ₹800 and ₹1100 for RT-PCR tests. These are being reduced to ₹700 and ₹900 respectively from April 20. This will benefit citizens of the State to get themselves tested," he said.
Also, the Gujarat Government has planned to set up one RT-PCR testing laboratory in each of the 33 districts in the State. "Big cities and big districts where a large number of samples are coming, we will increasing the number of testing centres there," Patel said.