Rajasthan to slash rate of RT-PCR test in private labs

The Rajasthan government will further slash rates of RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test at private labs by Rs 400 on Tuesday. RT-PCR is the confirmatory test for Covid-19.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said, given the drop in prices of testing kits, the government will now bound private testing labs to slash rates from Rs 1,200 to Rs 800. Earlier the labs were charging Rs 2,200, which was reduced to Rs 1,200 in September mid.

Gehlot, after dedicating Covid-19 ICU in RUHS hospital, equipped with 70 beds, and Covid-19 testing labs in six towns, said the state government is making all efforts to strengthen Covid-19 management and infrastructure. “People should not be worried by looking at the increasing cases as it will happen with the increase in tests. The recovery rate in Rajasthan is encouraging and the death rate is below 1 per cent,” said the CM.

“Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are the only two states in the country where testing is done through RT-PCR, which is the most reliable method. Now the current rate of RT-PCR testing in private labs will be reduced from Rs 1,200 to Rs 800 per sample,” he said.

State health minister Dr Raghu Sharma said that after the new ICU ward at RUHS Hospital, a total of 205 ICU beds have now become available. In addition, 1,000 oxygen beds are also available here and CT-scan facility has been started.

Secretary health education, Vaibhav Galaria informed that at present, coronavirus is being tested across 38 government and 23 private labs in the state. Rajasthan has achieved the capacity to perform 60,000 RT-PCR tests in a day.

The state government issued a notification stating, “exercising powers under section 4 of the Rajasthan Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020, the rate of RT-PCR tests is fixed at Rs 800, including all taxes, at NABL accredited and ICMR approved labs.”

It said any violation of this notification shall be punishable under section 5 of the ordinance.