Following the ICMR’s letter to chief secretaries across states and union territories in the country, the BMC has now reportedly decided to cap the pricing of each COVID-19 test to Rs 2,300. In its letter, the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) asked chief secretaries to revise the pricing as testing costs have come down over the past three months.
A senior BMC official has mentioned that they’re currently discussing the terms with private laboratories and a consensus should be reached soon. It’s worth noting that this will only apply to private labs that conduct COVID-19 tests on individuals and BMC and state-run labs will continue to conduct the tests free of charge.
Also read - Devendra Fadnavis Writes To CM, Alleges Drop In Testing By 50 Per Cent
Multiple health activists had previously raised objections when ICMR capped the price of testing at Rs 4,500. Now, with a nearly 50% reduction in prices proposed, authorities are well on their course to expedite testing for Mumbaikars.
In addition to private and civic labs, the BMC also pays Rs 3,500 per test to private labs for swab collection and testing of high-risk patients under home quarantine. As per data made available, despite a dozen of them being available across the city, private labs are still not conducting as many tests as civic or state-run labs. Perhaps the reduction in cost will encourage more citizens to get themselves tested for COVID-19.
The BMC recently started recommending COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic patients as well. This will likely help determine the number of people who may have caught the virus and don’t know it yet.
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