Private diagnostic centers in Valley divided over Covid testing in Kashmir

Following an outcry by the patients over exorbitant rates charged by the diagnostic centres for Covid tests, the administration has warned penal action against violators. However, the owners of private laboratories said that three types of tests are done for Covid detection which are done at different rates.

Srinagar: The private diagnostic centre owners in the Valley are in a fix and divided among themselves over carrying out covid tests amid a spike in Omicron cases in the erstwhile state. Following an outcry by the patients over exorbitant rates charged by the diagnostic centres for Covid tests, the administration has warned penal action against violators.

Recently, complaints poured in against diagnostic centres charging different rates for same tests despite a price cap by the administration last year. The UT administration last year fixed the price of the RT-PCR test for Covid conducted by private laboratories at Rs 400 following people complaining about exorbitant rates. The order was issued by Health and Medical Education Department from Civil Secretariat after public outcry.

“In accordance with the directions of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, no private laboratory will charge more than Rs 400 for the RT-PCR test. This includes GST or taxes, if any, and the cost involved in pickup, packing, transportation of samples, documentation and reporting," the order issued by former Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Department Atal Dulloo had said.

The private laboratories' owners said that three types of tests are done for Covid detection which are done at different rates.

Syed Muhammad Afaq, the chairman of Kashmir Private Diagnostic Centres Association, said that for RTPRC tests, the Rs 400 cap is fine but the TrueNat test, which is different from RAT and RTPCR, costs them Rs 2000.

"The government has itself fixed Rs 400 for RTPCR and Rs 2000 for TrueNat. So people get confused when they go for tests. They should ask the labs which tests they are doing to avoid confusion and allegations of overcharging," Afaq told ETV Bharat.

The Association also said that three labs have been permitted by the JK administration to do covid tests and only these three labs should do it as they have the technical equipment and trained workforce. But, another association said that permission should be granted to all other labs which will end the monopoly.

Umar Iqbal, who is president of the Private Diagnostic Centres Association, had told ETV Bharat that permitting all labs to do covid tests will bring down the competition and hence bring uniformity in rates.

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang Kadburao Pole said that the laboratories which are flouting the order will be legally penalized.

"Those laboratories which have permission can do the tests only if the owners charge government rates. Action will be taken against those who violate the rules," Pole had told ETV Bharat.