The government has reduced fee of PCR test by Rs 1,100. It will now cost Rs 4,400.
"One cannot charge more than Rs 4,400 now," Deputy Spokesperson with the Health Ministry Dr Samir Adhikari said. He added that the fee has been slashed from Rs 5,500 as availability of kits has eased and their cost fallen across the globe.
He stated that private hospitals and laboratories will also have to charge the fee fixed by the government. The hospitals which do not have necessary infrastructure for PCR test also cannot charge extra now. They were allowed to charge 10 percent extra on Rs 5,500 set by the government until now to collect swab and send the samples to other laboratories for testing.
"The 10 percent is also incorporated in the new fee. No hospital or laboratory can now charge more than Rs 4,400."