Telangana caps cost of Covid-19 tests, treatment at private labs and hospitals

Telangana government said daily treatment costs in Covid-19 isolation ward remains ₹4,000 per day while ICU beds with ventilators to cost ₹9,000 per day.

Telangana government on Tuesday capped the price of tests and treatment related to coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in private laboratories and hospitals across the state.

Telangana had earlier fixed the costs of Covid-19 tests and treatment in private laboratories and hospitals in June last year. (ANI)

In a fresh order, the Telangana government said that a PPE kit cannot be charged more than ₹273 while a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) test has been capped at ₹1,995, Interleukin-6 test at ₹1,300, digital X-Ray at ₹300, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) test at ₹140 and C-reactive protein (CRP) test at ₹500, among others.

As per the order, the minimum charge of an ambulance with basic life support system cannot exceed ₹2,000, with a cap on per kilometre charge at ₹75. Ambulance equipped with an advanced life support system has been fixed at ₹125 per kilometer with a minimum charge of ₹3,000.

However, no change has been made in the daily treatment costs during hospitalisation after the same was introduced in June last year. Accordingly, charges for routine ward isolation continue to be at ₹4,000 per day, ICU without ventilator at ₹7,500 per day, and ICU with ventilator at ₹9,000 per day.

Of 55,442 total number of available beds in Telangana, as many as 49,558 vacant, official data of the department of health, medical and family welfare showed. Among the vacant beds, 20,811 are in general wards while 18,922 and 9,825 are equipped with oxygen support and without it, respectively, the data added.

This comes after the Chandigarh administration last month slashed the rates of Covid-19 tests after the intervention of the Punjab and Haryana high court. Currently, an RT-PCR test costs ₹450 and a rapid antigen test costs ₹350 in the Union territory. Earlier, the tests were priced at ₹900 and ₹500, respectively.

Telangana on Tuesday reported 1,175 new Covid-19 cases, down from 1,197 on Monday, thereby taking the cumulative tally to 6,15, 574, the state health bulletin data stated.