Private hospitals, labs to test swine flue in cheaper rates

Private hospital and diagnostic labs in Rajasthan, where swine flu has claimed over 80 lives this year so far, will conduct test for the flu in cheaper rates, an official statement said Wednesday.

In a meeting chaired by Special Secretary Health and Family Welfare Department Samit Sharma, the hospitals and labs agreed upon reducing the test fees to Rs 2,500 from Rs 3500, the statement said.

Private hospitals have been directed to perform the swine flu test under the Notifiable Disease Act and the NHM director has directed state's district collectors to convince the private hospitals to charge for the test at a similar rate, it said.

Currently the test is done free of cost at seven medical colleges and the Desert Medicine Research Centre in Jodhpur on the prescription of a government doctor, the statement said.