The Pinarayi Vijayan government has ordered all private laboratories in the state to reduce the price of RT-PCR tests to Rs 500 from Rs 1,700. The charge is inclusive of swab charges, PPE kits, and test kits. Notably, RT-PCR test is considered as the gold standard test in confirming coronavirus infection.
“RTPCR testing charge in private centres has been reduced from ₹1700 to ₹500. It is all inclusive of test kits, PPE, swab charges etc. Reduced rate is applicable to all ICMR & State Govt. approved private labs and hospitals. Govt. hospitals are conducting these tests for free (sic),” Pinarayi Vijayan said in a tweet.
Earlier, the government reduced the price from Rs 2,100 to Rs 1,500 on January 1. But it was later revised to Rs 1,700 after private laboratories sought a favourable verdict from the High Court, on February 10. The price of RT-PCR was Rs 2,750 to begin before October last year. The test is conducted free of charge in government labs.
State health minister KK Shailaja said the decision was taken after it was found that the ICMR-approved kits have become cheaper in the market. The rates in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are at Rs 1,200 and Rs 800 respectively.
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Meanwhile, the state government has mooted more measures to ensure the availability of medical oxygen in the state. Dedicated oxygen war rooms will be opened at state and district level as part of this, the state government said in a release.
Kerala’s Covid -19 graph showed another alarming rise on Thursday as the daily caseload rose to 38,607 with a high test positivity rate of 24.5%, The total caseload soared to 15,33,984 as of April 29. The toll mounted to 5,259 with 48 more deaths, and the active cases touched 2,84,086.
