Hyderabad: Making Covid-19 tests more affordable, the State Government on Tuesday slashed RT-PCR rates from Rs 850 to Rs. 500. The rates for samples collected from home for RT-PCR testing have also been reduced from Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 750.

This is for the second time that the State government has revised the RT-PCR tests costs. Earlier in November, the cost of RT-PCR tests was slashed from Rs. 2,200 to Rs.850 and that of tests through home visits reduced from Rs. 2,600 to Rs.1,200.

The Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, Dr.G Srinivasa Rao had written a letter to the government to cut the cost of RT-PCR tests due to increased availability of test kits and reduction in the cost of both RNA extraction kits and RT-PCR kits. Acting on the recommendations, the government decided to slash the rates.

All National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved private Covid-19 testing laboratories were instructed to strictly adhere to the guidelines of ICMR and hospitals, institutes and labs have to display the revised tariffs prominently and strictly comply with the recommendations. District Health and Medical Officers were asked to monitor closely and enforce the prices strictly.

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