Centre tells states to cap cost of swine flu test

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 20

As deaths due to swine flu today reached 743 and cases crossed the 11,950 mark, the Centre asked states to ensure easy testing of the viral disease by capping the cost of H1N1 diagnosis in private laboratories.

Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth is learnt to have told state governments to issue orders prohibiting private diagnostic facilities from overcharging for the swine flu test.

He is reported to have conveyed his concern on the issue to state Chief Secretaries asking them to cap the test cost on the lines of Delhi.

The Delhi Government by way of official orders day before put a Rs 4,500 limit on the cost of H1N1 testing in private facilities which were earlier charging Rs 9,000.

Director, Health Services, Delhi, today said the state government can cancel licences of lab owners who overcharge in this time of an outbreak.

The Centre has asked every state to replicate the Delhi strategy of making testing easy and economical. The Health Ministry is, however, yet to get reports from states about whether they have passed such orders yet.

Mortality on account of the disease meanwhile continued to rise and showed no signs of declining even though Additional Secretary Health Arun Panda said, “We expect the cases and toll to reduce by February end.”

Mortality data, however, did not indicate any tapering trend. For the past three days, an average of 40 people are dying daily from H1N1. Day before, the number of deaths across India was 663. The toll reached 703 yesterday.