Telangana government on Wednesday has slashed the prices of RT-PCR tests in private labs. Earlier, ₹ 2,200 was charged if a sample was collected at a private lab. It has been reduced to ₹ 850. And ₹ 2,800 was charged if samples were collected from home, which is now slashed to ₹ 1,200. The revised prices includes all charges such as for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and others.
In an order issued on Wednesday, State Health department’s Principal Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi directed all hospitals, institutions, labs to display the revised tariff prominently and strictly comply by the orders. “Non-compliance shall attract action as per the provisions of law,” Mr Rizvi stated.
The State’s Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivasa Rao advised people to avail free of cost COVID-19 tests at government testing facilities. The government facilities where the RT-PCR tests are conducted include Gandhi Medical College, Osmania Medical College, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical and Communicable Diseases, Institute of Preventive Medicine, ESIC Medical College, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Railway Hospital in Lallaguda. All of these are located in Hyderabad.
In Warangal, the RT-PCR tests are conducted in Kaktiya Medical College. In Siddipet,Government General Hospital offers the facility. Government Medical College in Mahbubnagar too offers the test.
CB NAAT test is conducted in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Adilabad, Government General Hospital, Nizamabad, Government General Hospital, Suryapet, Area Hospitals in Gadwal and Kothagudem, District Hospital in Karimnagar. Besides, Rapid Antigen Test is offered in 1,076 government facilities. The list is available in the daily media bulletin in the website www.covid19.telangana.gov.in