Coronavirus testing: After Delhi, Odisha government caps price of Covid-19 RT-PCR test at Rs 400

In a major decision to make Coronavirus testing affordable, the state government of Odisha has capped the price of RT-PCR test at Rs 400, news agency ANI reported. The decision taken by the government comes in the wake of several private laboratories in the state charging exorbitant rates from people who are getting themselves for Coronavirus. The decision is not only aimed at stopping the over-charging of money by the private laboratories but also encouraging more and more people of the state to get themselves tested if they have any symptoms of Coronavirus.

With the government cap on the cost of RT-PCR Coronavirus test, no private laboratories will be allowed to charge more from their customers. A similar decision was taken in the national capital on Monday with the AAP government capping the rate of RT-PCR test to a maximum of Rs 800. The government had also instructed all the private laboratories to show the rate chart at a prominent spot on their laboratories. The decision was aimed at making testing rate affordable for people who want to get tested on their own initiative after they experience the symptoms of Coronavirus. On the other hand, all patients who are tested at the government Covid-19 facilities are not charged for their RT-PCR tests and the cost is borne by the government.

In addition to a large number of people who want to get tested, several government as well as private hospitals also use the service of their nearest private laboratories to get the test results of their patients. Health experts have pointed out that many people ignore the early symptoms of the virus leading to the worsening of their Covid-19 situation. Doctors have also said that by delaying the testing of Coronavirus, patients also increase their chances of hospitalisation and mortality in the worst case scenario. RT-PCR testing method is considered to be more reliable than the rapid antigen test for Coronavirus. Patients who keep on exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms despite showing negative in their rapid antigen test report are further tested by the RT-PCR method to check the presence of the virus.