JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has fixed the price of RT-PCR test for COVID-19 conducted by private laboratories at Rs 400, an official order said.
Private laboratories in the Union Territory are presently charging Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 from the patients for the tests. In an order, Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Department Atal Dulloo said in accordance with the directions of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, no private laboratory would charge any amount more than Rs 400 for RT-PCR test for COVID-19. The cost of Rs 400 includes GST or taxes, if any, cost involved in pickup, packing and transportation of samples, documentation and reporting.
The people have been demanding that a cap be put on the price of RT-PCR tests by private laboratories who have been charging Rs 1500 to Rs 1600 from the patients at their labs and an extra Rs 200 if the sample is collected from a home.
