Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, May 7: Amid the steep surge in Covid-19 cases, several private hospitals and diagnostic centres in J&K are charging hefty amounts for Covid-19 tests.
People from different areas of Kashmir said that exorbitant rates are being charged by private hospitals and diagnostics centres for COVID-19 tests while authorities aren’t taking cognizance of the issue.
They said that due to corona curfew people are facing financial problems but private hospitals and diagnostic centres are looting people by charging them as per their will.
They appealed to the Governor-led administration to initiate strict action against those private hospitals which are looting the public by charging hefty fees for conducting COVID-19 RT-PCR tests at hospitals as well as home collection services.
President of Private Diagnostic Centres Association, Umar Dhar said that the government must fix rates for tests being conducted at private Institute and made the rates public.
“We have also received several calls that some hospitals/centres are charging as per their will after which we have offered our 80 centres to the government where we will conduct free tests,” Dhar said.
A top health official said that the government has fixed Rs 1600 for RTPCR test and 600 for RAT test.
Meanwhile, Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo assured that a team will be constituted to check the report.
“We will verify the matter after which action will be taken,” Dullloo said.
