India / Delhi BJP asks Arvind Kejriwal to reduce COVID-19 testing price

NEW DELHI: The BJP's Delhi unit on Friday urged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to reduce the rates of the RT-PCR test being charged by private hospitals and laboratories. In June, the Delhi government capped the rates of Covid-related procedures, including RT-PCR tests. At present, the rate is capped at Rs 2,400. 

In a letter to the CM on Friday, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, spokesperson of Delhi BJP, requested him to cut down the testing charges as done by the respective governments in neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Kapoor said that the decision would encourage people to go for Covid-19 tests.

“It is with deep distress that I am writing to you to draw your attention towards the sufferings of people of Delhi, who are forced to pay almost four times more than the patients in NCR cities for Covid19 testing. It is really sad that your government has allowed private laboratories in Delhi to continue charging Rs 2,400 for a Covid-19 test, a rate fixed five months ago even as neighbouring states — Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have reduced the charges to make them easily available for the poor,” said the letter.

Kapoor claimed that the rates of Covid-19 tests are Rs 500-900 in Haryana and in UP towns, and Rs 600 for rapid tests. 

“The government should immediately review and order to reduce the rates of Covid-19 tests in Delhi today itself. A rate of around Rs 600 should be ideal enough. Reduced rates will encourage more people to go for Covid-19 tests and help in larger detection and cure of the deadly disease,” said the communiqué.

According to the officials in the government, the price of the RT-PCR test in Delhi may be revised soon. 

​In Haryana, RT-PCR test price has been slashed to Rs 900 from Rs 1,200 and in Uttar Pradesh, the charges are capped at Rs 1,600. Two types of tests — RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen — are available to test for Covid-19 in the national capital and they are conducted free at government testing centres and hospitals. 

Move to encourage testing

In Haryana, RT-PCR test price is now Rs 900 and in UP, the charges are capped at Rs 1,600. The decision has been taken with a view to encourage Covid-19 tests.