The State government has reduced the rate of the RT-PCR tests at the ICMR-approved private NABL laboratories to ₹350, which is inclusive of the cost of COVID-19 tests, viral transport medium and personal protective equipment, according to G.O. Rt No.28 issued by Principal Secretary (Health, Medical and Family Welfare) Anil Kumar Singhal.
It was stated that Dr. YSR Aarogyasri Health Care Trust and the State nodal officer for COVID laboratories had reported that in view of the increased availability of the kits in the market, and as more companies started manufacturing RNA extraction kits, the cost of reagents / kits had come down.
A meeting of the technical committee on the revision of RT-PCR tests done at private and PPP labs held on January 4 recommended downward revision of the rates for individuals approaching those labs from ₹499 to ₹350.