THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The well being division has determined to maintain the speed of RT-PCR checks for Covid at Rs 500 per take a look at in non-public labs, regardless of objections from lab homeowners. It has additionally appealed earlier than the division bench in opposition to the only bench order, which had allowed a plea difficult the choice to cap the speed for the take a look at at Rs 500.
The Excessive Courtroom on October 4 had put aside the state authorities’s order slashing the worth of RT-PCR checks to Rs 500 from Rs 1,700 in any respect non-public labs and requested the federal government to take a recent choice inside three weeks after holding discussions with the homeowners of labs. The courtroom saved its order in abeyance for a month to facilitate the talks.
As directed by the Excessive Courtroom, well being division officers heard the petitioners at a listening to on October 20, the place lab homeowners said that they wished to hike the speed to at the least Rs 1,000. Nonetheless, the division discovered the demand was not tenable within the wake of discount in costs of take a look at kits and consumables. It was additionally discovered that one of many petitioners voluntarily performed over 21,000 RT-PCR checks in Thiruvananthapuram airport on the price (`448.20 per take a look at) fastened by the federal government.
The take a look at is performed freed from cost in authorities laboratories. The federal government choice to maintain the take a look at price low can be a aid to the general public, particularly those that are in want of a Covid unfavourable certificates earlier than journey.
From Rs 2,750 to Rs 500
The worth of RT-PCR was D2,750 to start with and was decreased to Rs 2,100 in October final 12 months. It was additional decreased to Rs 1,500 on January 1, 2021, and revised to Rs 1,700 after a Excessive Courtroom intervention on February 10. Later, the federal government capped the worth at D500 on April 29.
