Kolkata: To ease out the cost burden of the people belonging to the economically weaker section during this pandemic situation, the Bengal government may push the private hospitals and laboratories in the state to lower the cost of COVID-19 test by invoking Epidemic Diseases Act and Essential Services Maintenance Act as there is a surge in the number of COVID positive patients.
The state government is waiting for the instruction from the Centre as the latter had earlier capped the cost of a COVID-19 swab test at Rs 4,500. Once the Centre lifts the price capping, the state can go ahead and reduce the rate of the swab tests. The state government-owned laboratories conduct the COVID-19 tests at completely free of costs.
If the private laboratories reduce the cost of swab tests, it will help the state government to combat the COVID situation and more number of sample tests could be done in a single day. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had recently urged the state government to take up the issue with the private laboratories.
Sources in the Health department said that the state government may slash the cost of swab tests at all the private-owned labs and hospitals as per the provisions laid down by Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and Essential Services Maintenance Act. There has been a demand from certain quarters that the state should take note of the overpricing of swab tests at the private laboratories and hospitals during the current emergency.
"Private agencies should also proactively join hands with the state government when there is pandemic in the country and the infection rate seems to go up day by day. The private players cannot shrug their social responsibilities when the entire world is under the threat of a deadly virus. Earlier the private labs claimed that they were bringing kits from abroad but now they are available in our country" said a senior official from the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC).
The WBCERC which was formed by the state government following the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has already urged the private laboratories and hospitals to reduce the cost of COVID test. There are currently 43 testing labs in the state out of which 11 are being operated by private players.
When contacted, Justice Ashim Kumar Banerjee, the Chairperson of WBCERC said: "We have already appealed to the private hospitals and laboratories to lower the rate of COVID test. Three days ago Medica Hospital took suo motu steps and reduced the cost to Rs 3,900 from Rs 4,500. We have praised the move and also urged others to follow suit. The Centre has capped the pricing and they have to withdraw it. Initiatives have been taken by the Centre to withdraw the capping, as we have come to know."