Telangana govt fixes price of COVID-19 tests and treatment in private labs and corporate hospitals

The cost of conducting a COVID-19 test in private lab has been fixed at Rs 2,200 and the fee for treatment of the infection in corporate hospitals Rs 4,000 per day. These charged were fixed by the Telangana government on Monday. 

The chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao held a review with the chief secretary and other senior officials and announced some key decisions on Sunday.

One of them is giving nod to private labs who have taken permission to conduct tests.

The fee for the test is Rs 2,200, Health Minister E Rajender told reporters here.

The charge for treatment of patients in ICU without ventilator support has been fixed at Rs 7,500 per day, while it would be Rs 9,000 per day for those who are on such support, he said.

Since the cost of some anti-viral injections is in the range of Rs 40,000 Rs 50,000, such treatment can be charged separately, he said.

He said Telangana is



in a position to conduct about 7,500 tests per day, he said.

Asked about the 50,000 tests proposed to be conducted in Hyderabad and adjoining areas as part of measures to contain the infection, he said the 50,000 tests would be conducted free of cost from the coming week to 10 days.

The government is ready to conduct more tests if necessary.

The tests would be conducted for people with influenza- like symptoms, family members of positive cases, and high risk groups, including doctors and other healthcare personnel, police, government officials and mediapersons, he said.

The private diagnostic agencies should not indulge in malpractice to test many people, he said.

The state government on Sunday said it would conduct COVID-19 tests on 50,000 people in 30 assembly segments in the state capital and four adjoining districts which are witnessing a spike in new cases in a bid to contain the spread.