Private Labs Covid-19 Test

The Delhi government on Thursday capped the cost of conventional RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 detection in private hospitals and labs at Rs 300, a 40 per cent reduction from the earlier rate, according to an order.

A probe was ordered against a private laboratory after a number of flyers who reached Amritsar in Punjab from Italy tested positive for COVID-19 amid allegations by several of them that their test reports were incorrect, health officials said.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed the Delhi High Court that National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) certification is must for enrollment of private labs for COVID-19 testing.

The Kerala government on Saturday said action will be taken against private testing lab in the state if they charge people money in excess to the rates fixed for RT-PCR or other COVID-19 tests or turn people away.

A rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and exceeding requests for either RT-PCR or antigen tests has abruptly forced a majority of private laboratories to stop collecting swab samples even from testing centres for at least two days.

The district administration in Nashik has issued notices to three private labs in view of the high positivity rate of the COVID-19 tests carried out there, officials said on Sunday.

The cost of more-reliable but expensive RT-PCR tests for detecting COVID-19 will be cut to Rs950 from the earlier Rs1,250 in private hospitals and labs across West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said during an interaction with reporters on Thursday.

The Odisha government on Wednesday further reduced the maximum price for the RT-PCR COVID-19 tests by private laboratories to Rs 400 from Rs 1,200.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has slashed the price of RT-PCR tests - the gold standard for detecting COVID-19 - by two-thirds to Rs 800 now.

With the price of RT-PCR test kits and reagents used for coronavirus testing coming down, the Uttar Pradesh government has reduced the charge for conducting COVID-19 test to Rs 1,600 from Rs 2,500 by all labs including those privately owned.

A three-member Special Investigation Team will probe the alleged COVID-19 testing scam by a private lab in Amritsar, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Sunday.

An expert team constituted by the Telangana government to inspect 16 private laboratories that were given permission to conduct COVID-19 tests has raised red flags in connection with the infrastructure, quality standards, procedures and protocols followed at these labs.

A 61-year old woman, who had tested positive for COVID-19 at a private lab in Kolkata, ran away from the state-run NRS Medical College and Hospital when she was told she must get admitted immediately.

The cost of conducting a COVID-19 test in private lab has been fixed at Rs 2,200 and the fee for treatment of the infection in corporate hospitals Rs 4,000 per day.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday said that the government has reduced the rates of the COVID-19 tests conducted by private laboratories from Rs 4,500 to Rs 2,200.

The Delhi government on Thursday capped the cost of conventional RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 detection in private hospitals and labs at Rs 300, a 40 per cent reduction from the earlier rate, according to an order.

A probe was ordered against a private laboratory after a number of flyers who reached Amritsar in Punjab from Italy tested positive for COVID-19 amid allegations by several of them that their test reports were incorrect, health officials said.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed the Delhi High Court that National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) certification is must for enrollment of private labs for COVID-19 testing.

The Kerala government on Saturday said action will be taken against private testing lab in the state if they charge people money in excess to the rates fixed for RT-PCR or other COVID-19 tests or turn people away.

A rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and exceeding requests for either RT-PCR or antigen tests has abruptly forced a majority of private laboratories to stop collecting swab samples even from testing centres for at least two days.

The district administration in Nashik has issued notices to three private labs in view of the high positivity rate of the COVID-19 tests carried out there, officials said on Sunday.

The cost of more-reliable but expensive RT-PCR tests for detecting COVID-19 will be cut to Rs950 from the earlier Rs1,250 in private hospitals and labs across West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said during an interaction with reporters on Thursday.

The Odisha government on Wednesday further reduced the maximum price for the RT-PCR COVID-19 tests by private laboratories to Rs 400 from Rs 1,200.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has slashed the price of RT-PCR tests - the gold standard for detecting COVID-19 - by two-thirds to Rs 800 now.

With the price of RT-PCR test kits and reagents used for coronavirus testing coming down, the Uttar Pradesh government has reduced the charge for conducting COVID-19 test to Rs 1,600 from Rs 2,500 by all labs including those privately owned.

A three-member Special Investigation Team will probe the alleged COVID-19 testing scam by a private lab in Amritsar, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Sunday.

An expert team constituted by the Telangana government to inspect 16 private laboratories that were given permission to conduct COVID-19 tests has raised red flags in connection with the infrastructure, quality standards, procedures and protocols followed at these labs.

A 61-year old woman, who had tested positive for COVID-19 at a private lab in Kolkata, ran away from the state-run NRS Medical College and Hospital when she was told she must get admitted immediately.

The cost of conducting a COVID-19 test in private lab has been fixed at Rs 2,200 and the fee for treatment of the infection in corporate hospitals Rs 4,000 per day.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday said that the government has reduced the rates of the COVID-19 tests conducted by private laboratories from Rs 4,500 to Rs 2,200.