In a bid to augment the testing facilities, the Odisha government has allowed private hospitals, nursing homes and laboratories to conduct COVID-19 tests through Rapid Antigen and RT-PCR methods. The government issued a separate set of guidelines for conducting sample tests both under Rapid Antigen and RT-PCR.
The private health establishments have to abide by the ICMR norms.
The sample test results should first be informed to the state authorities before being released to the person whose test was conducted, the notification said.
For Rapid Antigen tests, the private bodies can charge a maximum of 450 rupees, while the price for RT-PCR tests is fixed at 2,200 rupees per test. The nursing homes, hospitals and laboratories should be mandatorily registered under the Odisha Clinical Establishment (control & regulation) Act, 1990.
The manpower to be deployed for the purpose must be trained properly in consultation with the chief district medical and public health officers.
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