Kerala: Action to be taken against pvt labs for charging excess for COVID-19 test

The Kerala government on Saturday said action will be taken against private testing lab in the state if they charge people money in excess to the rates fixed for RT-PCR or other COVID-19 tests or turn people away.

In the order, the state government said that private laboratories will perform RT-PCR tests at the government-revised rate of Rs 500 per test without turning away any person.

"This (excessive charging and turning away) is a brazen challenge to the State's strategy for disease control and disaster management during the surge... This is an act against the State and the people during these extraordinary times of distress and disease," the order said.

It further said that any private laboratory that denies RT-PCR testing/any of the other tests for Covid-19 at the rates fixed by the government or that charges in excess of the rates shall be deemed to have committed offences under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020 and other relevant provisions in law and action shall be initiated against such laboratory accordingly.

Earlier on Friday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed strict action against private hospitals flouting norms to provide COVID-19 vaccination for relatives and friends, the Chief Minister's Office informed on Friday.

In a tweet, the CMO informed that District Collectors and the Police have been directed to take strict action and those behind these violations will have to face consequences.

As many as 35,636 new COVID19 cases, 48 deaths and 15,493 recoveries reported in Kerala on Saturday. The death toll has reached 5,356.

( With inputs from ANI )