As the second wave of corona is spreading fast, the Telangana State is once again witnessing a repeat scenario of last year where the corporate hospitals and diagnostic centres for over charging people who are going for RT-PCR tests.
The government had fixed Rs 500 as the rate for RT-PCR tests last year and it has not been changed. But private diagnostic centres are charging anything between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000. Managements are claiming that the stocks of test kits had depleted due to sudden demand and hence they were forced to hike the charges. The private centres are conducting tests for 100 people every day by prior appointment through online or phone call.
In view of the sudden increase in demand, the managements were collecting double fee from the persons who wanted to undergo tests in the emergency. In some centres, the managements were demanding Rs 3,000 for immediate test, an official of a noted diagnostic centre who did not want to be named, said that the available infrastructure for the conduct of corona tests was inadequate in the State.