Lagatar24 Network
Ranchi, Jan 20: The State government has reduced the corona testing fee.
An order issued by additional chief secretary of health department Arun Kumar Singh suggests that private labs have been asked to charge not more than Rs 300 for RT PCR test. The charge will include the cost of testing kit, extraction kit and VTM Kit. At the same time, the rate of rapid antigen test has been reduced from Rs 150 to Rs 50.
Apart from testing charge, conveyance cost has also been reduced. The department has fixed the rate of Rs 100 for conveyance.
Earlier for RT PCR test, the state government had fixed Rs 400, while for rapid antigen test Rs 150 per sample was being charged.
While reducing the testing fee, the government has also reduced the home visit charge. Earlier, Rs 200 per sample was collected as home visit charge.
Rationalizing this, the government has reduced the home visit charge to Rs 100 from Rs 200 and also directed not to collect it on the basis of number of samples but on the basis of number of visits i.e Rs 100 per home visit.
Earlier on January 14, independent legislator Saryu Roy had asked the chief secretary to reduce the fee of the RT-PCR test being fixed for private laboratories. Apparently, the state government has honoured his words by issuing the order for reducing the charge today
