The West Bengal government on Friday fixed the rate of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) test for private hospitals at Rs 2,250. No hospital or clinic in the state can charge more than this rate for COVID tests. In state-run hospitals, the tests are free already.
The state has also fixed the rate of Personal protective equipments (PPEs) at Rs 1,000 per PPE. Complaints were received by the state about patients being charged at very high rates for PPEs worn by doctors and nurses who were attending on them. Many private hospitals were charging the price of eight to 10 PPEs per patient per day for doctors and nurses attending on patients wearing the PPEs. At a meeting with representatives of private hospitals, chief secretary Rajiva Sinha asked them to “rationalise” the charges, and said that the government was not yet fixing any rate.
However, on Friday, such a rate was eventually fixed, as it is clear many private hospitals were yet to “rationalise” their charge and complaints were received by the government about how the charges were exorbitant.
The government also fixed the rate of a doctor’s visit at Rs 1,000. The chief minister said that many private hospitals were charging Rs 5,000 for a doctor’s visit.
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