Supreme Court Issues Notice To Centre, States Seeking Response On Plea To Fix Price For RT-PCR Test

The petitioner alleged that different rates are being charged for the coronavirus test across the country, and asked to cap the price of the RT-PCR test across the country at Rs 400.

(Photo by NOAH SEELAM / AFP)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Center, States, and Union Territories seeking a reply on a petition demanding to fix the price of the Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test. The petitioner alleged that different rates are being charged for the coronavirus test across the country, and asked to cap the price of the RT-PCR test across the country at Rs 400. The petitioner produced ‘evidence’ of a Nagpur-based supplier who is willing to provide RT-PCR test kits for as cheap as Rs 200. The rate for RT-PCR testing kit in Delhi is Rs Rs 2,400 while Andhra Pradesh has pegged it as high as Rs 2,900. While on one hand Haryana conducts TR-PCR test for Rs 900, West Bengal and Karnataka have last month revised these rates at Rs 1,500-1,600. Private hospitals meanwhile charge Rs 1600 per test. Citing the prices, the petitioner urged the Court to urgently consider the matter as citizens are desperate to conduct this test at the earliest across states. Hearing the matter, the three judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde presented nod to issue notice to the Centre. As per the reports, the court has fixed the matter for hearing after two weeks. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday launched a mobile laboratory at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) headquarters in New Delhi that will conduct free RT-PCR tests to detect COVID-19 for residents of the national capital. The RT-PCR test will be done for Rs 499. The Ministry of Home Affairs said that ICMR will bear this cost and hence, the test will be absolutely free for people of Delhi.