Rising number of COVID cases: UP Health Department fixes rates for RT-PCR, Antigen, and CT scan tests

Lucknow: With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing every day, the State Health Department of Uttar Pradesh has fixed the rates of COVID 19 tests at private pathology and diagnostic centres.

Issuing directions in this regard, the Health Department on Saturday asked all the private labs for conducting COVID tests including RT-PCR, Antigen, and CT scan tests at the prescribed rates.

As per the Government's directions, the private lab operators can now charge up to Rs 900 for RT-PCR for home collection and in case of individual visit to the laboratories, the rate is fixed at Rs 700.

In the case of antigen tests, the private labs are allowed to charge a maximum of Rs 250 and the rate has been fixed at Rs 1250 for TrueNat tests. However, for the home collection of samples, an additional fee of Rs 200 can be charged.

Regarding the CT scan charges, the private labs can charge Rs 2,250 for 16 to 64 slides, and for more than 64 slides, the patients will have to pay Rs 2,500.

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As per the latest media report by the Times of India, fixing the rates for COVID tests, the CMO Dr. Manoj Agarwal told the daily, "Prescribed rates should be followed for diagnostic tests, which include RT-PCR, TrueNat, Antigen, and CT scan. If someone is overcharging, it will lead to action under the Epidemic Act."

The daily adds that such orders for fixing the rates of COVID tests has been issued last on December 29 of the previous year.

Meanwhile, PTI adds that India recorded 9,111 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 60,313, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The death toll increased to 5,31,141 with 27 deaths.

While six deaths were reported from Gujarat, four were from Uttar Pradesh, three each from Delhi and Rajasthan, two from Maharashtra, one each from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and three reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,48,27,226). The daily positivity was recorded at 8.40 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 4.94 per cent.

The active cases now comprise 0.13 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.68 per cent, the ministry said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,42,35,772 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry’s website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

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