The Karnataka government restricted the cost of testing in five private labs in the state to Rs 2,250 per test for the government, in an order passed on Friday, 17 April.
Of the 16 ICMR approved laboratories in the state, 16 are government labs and 5 are private ones. Following a discussion with stakeholders, including negotiations with private labs, the government has fixed the cost of tests at Rs 2,250, while walk-in tests for citizens would continue to cost Rs 4,500, like in the rest of the country.
Confusion had ensued earlier when the Supreme Court ordered that all private labs should conduct free tests for all Indians, after private labs raised concerns over whether or not they would be reimbursed for the same by the government.
Clarifying its stance, the SC said on 13 April that only beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat scheme would be eligible for the tests, being ‘poorest of the poor’.
On 15 April, the Karnataka government decided to test all persons suffering from influenza and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) for COVID-19 in the state from now on.
On Friday, 17 April, the state reported 44 new cases of coronavirus, the largest single day rise so far. From testing 500 samples per day, the health department is going to start testing 2,000 samples per day.
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