Odisha to charge Rs 400 for RT-PCR tests

BHUBANESWAR: The Government of Odisha, on Wednesday, December 2, decided the cost of Reverse Transcription- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), the most feasible so far for testing COVID-19, in private laboratories at Rs 400, the cheapest in the country. This notification was issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department (H&FW), Odisha. This decision was followed by a reduction in the price of testing kits and other accessories.

The officials of H&FW hope that the reduction in the cost of testing will lead to an increase in testing.  The state government is also preparing to lower the cost of rapid antigen tests from the current cost Rs 450.

The notification also said that the tests will be carried by the private laboratories under the direction of Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, following the guidelines given by the India Council of Medical Research.