Bhubaneswar, December 2: The Odisha government on Wednesday slashed the price of RT-PCR tests for detection of COVID-19 at private laboratories to Rs 400 from the existing Rs 1,200, a notification said.

In July, the state government had capped the price of RT-PCR tests at private laboratories at Rs 2,200 and it was then reduced to Rs 1,200 in August. Also Read | Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards to Be Held on February 20, 2021.

According to the notification issued by the health and family welfare department, anyone undergoing RT-PCR test at private laboratories, within the state, will now have to pay a maximum amount of Rs 400, including GST. Also Read | Subramanian Swamy Urges PM Narendra Modi to Replace Rabindranath Tagore’s National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ With Netaji’s INA Version.

The tests will be conducted by private laboratories under the supervision of Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, following ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) guidelines, it said. The tests at government laboratories are free of cost. The state has four ICMR approved laboratories where RT-PCR tests can be done.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)