Telangana slashes RT-PCR testing cost from Rs 850 to Rs 500

The Telangana government on Tuesday slashed the cost of COVID-19 RT-PCR tests from Rs 850 to Rs 500. The rates for samples collected from home for RT-PCR testing have also been reduced from Rs 1,200 to Rs 750. The Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare on Tuesday issued an order holding that the maximum rate chargeable for RT-PCR rates for samples which are collected at the labs/hospitals is now Rs 500 and the same for samples collected from home is Rs 750.

The decision was taken in view of the increased availability of test kits and a reduction in the cost of both RNA extraction kits and RT-PCR kits.

The department has directed all hospitals and labs to display the revised tariffs prominently and strictly comply with the orders. Non-compliance shall attract action as per provision of law, the order warned.

All National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-approved private COVID-19 testing laboratories have been instructed to strictly adhere to the guidelines of the ICMR.

This is the second time in less than one and a half month that the state government has slashed the rates.

On November 18, the cost of RT-PCR tests was slashed from Rs 2,200 to Rs 850. For testing the samples collected at home, the rate was reduced from Rs 2,600 to Rs 1,200.

Tests will continue to be conducted free of cost at government-run laboratories conducting RT-PCR tests or at centres doing Rapid Antigen Tests.

There are 18 government-run laboratories and 56 private laboratories conducting RT-PCR tests and 1,076 centres carrying out Rapid Antigen Tests.

The Telangana Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday had urged all those with travel to history to the UK and other countries where a mutation of COVID-19 was reported, to get themselves tested and self isolate. The Telangana government has offered to get these individuals tested, their samples will be sent for genome sequencing to identify the COVID-19 strain. Rao said the state will rely on the existing diagnostic testing tools to identify the new strain.