Despitethe fact that there is a cap on the price of RT-PCR test for covid19 in thestate, the private hospitals and laboratories in Jalandhar continue to violategovernment guidelines and have been fleecing residents by charging Rs 900 to Rs2400.
Theprice of RT-PCR test has been fixed at Rs 450 by the Punjab Government and forrapid antigen test it’s Rs 300. However, the private hospitals and labs in thedistrict are openly charging Rs 900 or sometimes even Rs 2400 for the RT-PCRtest. If the samples are collected from home, the charges either remain same orare hiked by Rs 200 or Rs 250.
Duringa series of sting operations, posing as a patient, team TrueScoop visiteddifferent private hospitals and labs in Jalandhar which includes a private hospital based in Rama Mandi here, Kamal Hospital, Dr Lal Path Lab (Doaba Chowk), Asha Path Lab (DoabaChowk) and Metropolis Lab. “After inquiring about the RT-PCR test, how it isconducted etc, we then asked for the price of the test, which to our surprisewas four times the capped price”.
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Weagain visited the Hospital the next day; however, this time the receptionistclearly denied taking samples and cited they only conduct RT-PCR for the admittedpatients.
Whenquestioned about how he agreed to collect the sample yesterday and asked for Rs2400, he said that he specially talked to the concerned authorities andrecommended for our sample on OPD Basis, so he said yes. Meanwhile, thereceptionist was so nice that he then gave us the contact number of another laband asked us to contact him for the test.
Aftera telephonic conversation with the recommended Lab person, we got to know itwas Metropolis Lab, and again to our surprise he asked for Rs 1500 for RT-PCR.However, he even mentioned that if you need the report for travel purposes thecharges are Rs 1500, otherwise it's Rs 1200. (The audio and video evidence of the entire conversation is withTrueScoop).
AtKamal Hospital, we were charged Rs 1500 for the RT-PCR. The receipt and videorecording reveals how hospitals without any fear of law are violating theguidelines and overcharging blatantly. Besides, the person who took our sample chargedus Rs 20 extra for the gloves he used. When we asked whether why he is nocarrying spare gloves as we have already paid Rs 1500, he replied that he usehis own gloves for the people who can’t afford it, but for those who canafford, they ask them to buy it on their own.
Likewise,Dr Lal Path Lab and Asha Lab situated near Doaba Chowk asked for Rs 700.However, the receptionists at both the places maintained that they only collecthome samples, however when we insisted on giving samples at the lab itself,they denied.
It is pertinent to mention here that about 10 days ago, the TrueScoop News hadconducted sting operation at Dr Lal Path Labs and Ratan Lal Lab situated at Maqsudan here, in which they were found charging Rs 900 for RT-PCR test and thevideo evidence of the same was submitted to the DC Jalandhar. However, no FIRhas been registered in the case so far.
Meanwhile, all the evidences have been submitted to the DC and Public Grievance officer, Jalandhar. Also, DC Ghanshyam Thori, assured that action would be taken against guilty labs.