SHILLONG, April 24: As people scamper to get tested for COVID-19, some private hospitals in the city are charging exorbitant prices for the tests.
People are forced to cough up Rs 500 for RAT and Rs 1,700 for RT-PCR tests at these hospitals. RAT and RT-PCR tests are conducted at Rs 250 and Rs 500 respectively at the government facilities.
Bethany Hospital is charging Rs 520 for RAT and Rs 1,750 for RT-PCR tests. Supercare Hospital said it is charging Rs 500 for RAT. It does not conduct RT-PCR tests for OPD patients.
Woodland Hospital, which does neither conduct RT-PCR nor CBNAAT tests, charges Rs 550 for RAT and Rs 1,800 for TrueNat.
Nazareth Hospital charges Rs 250 for RAT and Rs 3,000 for CBNAAT. It does not conduct RT-PCR or TrueNat tests.
As the state government has not fixed the rates for private hospitals, a section of them in the city came up with own rates.
An official in the Health department said the state government does not support the private hospitals and as such, it has not fixed the rates for them.
The official said the government conducts the tests almost at the price of costs and there is no concept of making money out of it.
