The private laboratories that have been authorised by the State government to conduct RT-PCR test for COVID-19 are making a killing during the pandemic by charging up to double of the prescribed rate. Senior officials said those caught for overcharging would be made to return the amount, and may even stand to lose their licence.
A worker collects swab sample in Anna Nagar
Chennai:
Every day, the State Health Department tests nearly 70,000 samples, of which at least 25-30 per cent are done by private facilities approved by the government. That is, around 20,000 samples are tested by private labs each day. According to the Government Order issued on August 3, the cost of an RT-PCR test for the beneficiaries of Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) is fixed at Rs 1,500, while it is Rs 2,000 for the non-beneficiaries. An additional Rs 500 can be charged from both categories for sample collection at doorsteps. In reality, however, the private hospitals and laboratories that conduct the test are charging about twice the amount – or, about Rs 5 crore over and above the prescribed rate every day.
“About 25 of us who came in contact with a COVID-19 patient had to undergo the test. We chose to do it at a private laboratory in Chromepet last week, which charged Rs 4,500 from each of us. The claim that testing cost is reduced is not true on the ground,” said R Joseph, who tested positive. Private facilities claimed that the government was not paying any money if the walk-in patient is not a beneficiary of CMCHIS. When asked, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said the department referred samples to private laboratories in case of additional load, for which the government would pay Rs 1,500 for each test. “The charge for testing is covered under CMCHIS and the private labs should charge only the rate fixed by the government,” he said.
Director of Medical Services Dr S Gurunathan said action will be taken against all private facilities if they overcharge for RT-PCR tests.