In the wake of the spread of Kovid 19, the government has fixed fees for antigen testing for ICMR approved private labs and hospitals. The rate was fixed at Rs 625. Earlier, labs used to charge up to Rs 3,500 for antigen testing. The examination should be done with the advice of the doctor.
Antigen testing can be performed by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare (NABH) accreditation, National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL), ICMR accredited labs and institutions accredited by the State Department of Health. For this you need to register with the ICMR and the Department of Health and get approval.
Institutions that are currently accredited do not need to seek other accreditation. Kovid preventive precautions should be taken in testing labs. The result should be reported to the Department of Health. The result should also be forwarded to the ICMR. If the antigen test is positive, you can confirm that you are infected with the virus.
However, if the antigen test is negative for people with Kovid symptoms, an RT-PCR test should be prescribed. Quarantine is mandatory for 14 days, even if the antigen test is negative for the patient or contact suspect from the disease area.
