The government has authorized 78 private healthcare institutions across Bangladesh to conduct rapid antigen tests to detect Covid-19 infections.
In a notice issued in this regard on Sunday, the health directorate set the maximum fee to conduct a test at Tk700.
In special cases, an additional charge of Tk500 can be levied for collecting samples from home. However, the amount will remain the same even if multiple samples are collected from a single household.
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The main advantage of antigen testing is that the results are available within 30-40 minutes.
The decision comes in light of the recommendation of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to introduce antigen testing at private hospitals, clinics and laboratories, alongside rt-PCR tests for detecting Covid-19 patients.
The government began antigen-based rapid testing in 10 bordering districts of the country on December 5 last year.