Kerala Government To Take Action Against Private Labs For Charging Excess For Covid Test

In the order, the state government said that private laboratories will perform RT-PCR tests at the government-revised rate of Rs 500 per test without turning away any person.

The Kerala government on Saturday said action will be taken against private testing lab in the state if they charge people money in excess to the rates fixed for RT-PCR or other COVID-19 tests or turn people away. There are reports of some private testing centres not following the prescribed rates for RTPCR tests, and some even refusing to conduct them. These are exceptional circumstances, not times for profiteering. Those who do not cooperate will face the consequences. In the order, the state government said that private laboratories will perform RT-PCR tests at the government-revised rate of Rs 500 per test without turning away any person. "This (excessive charging and turning away) is a brazen challenge to the State's strategy for disease control and disaster management during the surge... This is an act against the State and the people during these extraordinary times of distress and disease," the order said. It further said that any private laboratory that denies RT-PCR testing/any of the other tests for Covid-19 at the rates fixed by the government or that charges in excess of the rates shall be deemed to have committed offences under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020 and other relevant provisions in law and action shall be initiated against such laboratory accordingly.