PATNA: The state health department has allowed two private pathological laboratories in Patna and Muzaffarpur to collect samples for conducting Covid-19 tests. A notification in this regard was issued on Sunday.
It is for the first time that any private laboratory in the state has been permitted to conduct Covid tests. As per the state health department notification, the two private labs will not charge more than Rs2,500 for a ‘single step’ test. However, a patient would have to pay Rs1,500 for testing if s/he is found negative in screening. If one has to go for second phase testing, then the maximum Rs4,500 can be charged.
The state health department allowed the two laboratories after Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR) authorized them to conduct Covid-19 tests.
Principal secretary (health) Sanjay Kumar shared the details about notification on his Twitter handle and said the permission was given to augment Covid testing in state. Kumar also shared the names of Dr Lal Path Labs and Path Kind Diagnostics Pvt Ltd. The second laboratory has its centres in Subhash Nagar at East Jaganpura (Khemnichak) in Patna and at Jhuran Chhapra in Muzaffarpur.
At present, Covid-19 tests are being conducted at RMRIMS, IGIMS, PMCH and AIIMS-Patna, DMCH in Darbhanga, SKMCH in Muzaffarpur and JLNMCH in Bhagalpur.
As per the notification, these private laboratories would have to follow the guidelines of producing collected samples to government authorities for quality audit at referral testing centres of government medical college and hospitals.
They will also have to upload their reports to ICMR portal besides making their copies available health department’s state surveillance officer and civil surgeon of the district concerned.
The notification says if any of the laboratories charge more than Rs2,500 per testing and does not follow other government regulations, it would be deemed as disobeying the provisions of The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and Bihar Epidemic Covid-19 Regulation-2020.
Meanwhile, sources at both the private laboratories told TOI over phone that only samples from Bihar would be collected and tests would be conducted at their ICMR authorized testing centres in Delhi and Kolkata.
“We will be following all the necessary ICMR guidelines. Our executives would visit the person for sample collection. The patient would have to be referred by a registered doctor for Covid-19 testing. We would transport samples via road and railways to centres for testing. Both of our testing centres can collectively test 5000 samples per day,” one said, adding the modalities were being finalized and they would become functional in next two to three days.
Another source at the second private laboratory said they would be sending their samples to the Gurgaon centre via road. “It would take three to four days for results to come after sample collection,” he said.
It is for the first time that any private laboratory in the state has been permitted to conduct Covid tests. As per the state health department notification, the two private labs will not charge more than Rs2,500 for a ‘single step’ test. However, a patient would have to pay Rs1,500 for testing if s/he is found negative in screening. If one has to go for second phase testing, then the maximum Rs4,500 can be charged.
The state health department allowed the two laboratories after Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR) authorized them to conduct Covid-19 tests.
Principal secretary (health) Sanjay Kumar shared the details about notification on his Twitter handle and said the permission was given to augment Covid testing in state. Kumar also shared the names of Dr Lal Path Labs and Path Kind Diagnostics Pvt Ltd. The second laboratory has its centres in Subhash Nagar at East Jaganpura (Khemnichak) in Patna and at Jhuran Chhapra in Muzaffarpur.
At present, Covid-19 tests are being conducted at RMRIMS, IGIMS, PMCH and AIIMS-Patna, DMCH in Darbhanga, SKMCH in Muzaffarpur and JLNMCH in Bhagalpur.
As per the notification, these private laboratories would have to follow the guidelines of producing collected samples to government authorities for quality audit at referral testing centres of government medical college and hospitals.
They will also have to upload their reports to ICMR portal besides making their copies available health department’s state surveillance officer and civil surgeon of the district concerned.
The notification says if any of the laboratories charge more than Rs2,500 per testing and does not follow other government regulations, it would be deemed as disobeying the provisions of The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and Bihar Epidemic Covid-19 Regulation-2020.
Meanwhile, sources at both the private laboratories told TOI over phone that only samples from Bihar would be collected and tests would be conducted at their ICMR authorized testing centres in Delhi and Kolkata.
“We will be following all the necessary ICMR guidelines. Our executives would visit the person for sample collection. The patient would have to be referred by a registered doctor for Covid-19 testing. We would transport samples via road and railways to centres for testing. Both of our testing centres can collectively test 5000 samples per day,” one said, adding the modalities were being finalized and they would become functional in next two to three days.
Another source at the second private laboratory said they would be sending their samples to the Gurgaon centre via road. “It would take three to four days for results to come after sample collection,” he said.
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