West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has slashed the maximum price of RT-PCR test to detect the novel coronavirus by private labs to Rs.950.
The RT-PCR tests are more-reliable but expensive tests for detecting COVID-19. The earlier rate was Rs.1,250 in private hospitals and labs across West Bengal.
Though a notification is yet to be issued, the move has been welcomed by the hospitals’ association of eastern India, which has sought help in acquiring test kits at the same cost as the government does.
This is the second time that the price of RT-PCR tests for private hospitals and labs has been revised in West Bengal since October. West Bengal has recorded 4.9 lakh COVID-19 cases with 8,527 deaths, so far.
Earlier, other states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha and Delhi had reduced the price of RT-PCR test to be charged by the private labs.
The Odisha Government had slashed the maximum price for the coronavirus tests by private laboratories to Rs.400 from…