Bhubaneswar, Aug 25 (PTI) The Odisha government on Tuesday slashed the maximum price of RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 to be charged by private laboratories to Rs 1,200, an official said.

The state government on July 3 had capped the rate of RT-PCR tests at private laboratories at Rs 2,200.

Also Read | Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Nitish Kumar to Launch JD Digital Platform; Hold Virtual Rally on September 6.

The Rs 1,000 reduction in rates is aimed at stepping up testing in the state, the official said.

Initially, the private laboratories were charging Rs 4,000-4,500 per test.

Also Read | Shripad Naik Health Update: AYUSH Minister Won’t Be Shifted to Delhi, His Medical Condition Improved, Says Hospital.

The government after careful consideration has been pleased to refix the maximum price of RT-PCR COVID-19 test @ Rs 1,200 (inclusive of GST and all other incidental charges), as per a notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department.

Four private laboratories in the state have received the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approval for conducting COVID-19 tests. These are Apollo Hospital, IMS & SUM Hospital, InDNA Life Sciences-KIIT and GenX Diagnostics.

All these private laboratories are located in Bhubaneswar.

(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)