Covid-19 tests remain very expensive at private health facilities in Bangladesh even though the infection rate in the country has slowed to a trickle.
The high price of the tests is placing a significant burden on lower- and middle-income families, hampering early detection of Covid cases by discouraging testing.
On April 29, 2020, the Bangladesh government allowed three private hospitals to test samples of suspected Covid patients using RT-PCR and fixed Tk3,500 as the fee for each test, as the price of the kit was nearly Tk3,000.
The price of the test was Tk4,500 in the case of sample collection from home.
On December 27, 2020, the government lowered the rate of the RT-PCR Covid test at private labs to Tk3,000 from Tk3,500. The labs were also asked to charge Tk3,700 instead of Tk4,500 for sample collection from home.
The test fee for migrant workers was revised to Tk2,500 from Tk3,000 on May 11, 2021. Since then, the price has remained the same in Bangladesh.
Dhaka Tribune reached out to several officials from the Directorate General of Health Services, but they declined to comment on the price of Covid tests at private facilities.
According to Times of India, RT-PCR tests in the country was priced as high as Rs2,900 in June 2020. Subsequently, the Indian government revised the price down to Rs350, although states were allowed to set their own rates.
In Kerala, the price of RT PCR and Rapid Antigen tests were reduced from Rs500 and Rs300 to Rs 300 and Rs100 by the state government on February 9. In 2020, a person had to pay Rs2,100 for the RT-PCR test.
According to the Nepal-based newspaper the Himalayan Times, the Nepal government recently lowered the cost of Covid tests from Rs1,000 (about Tk710) at government and Rs2,000 (Tk1,425) at private facilities to Rs800 (Tk570) and Rs1,500 (Tk1,070), respectively. Those who are showing symptoms can get tested at government facilities free of cost.
Sri Lankan newspapers say RT-PCR tests at private hospitals in the country cost Rs5,000 (about Tk2,125). Private hospitals in Pakistan charge PKR6,500 (Tk3,170) per RT-PCR test.
In Bhutan, the government provides free RT-PCR tests for its citizens, but those who wish to travel outside the country must pay NU3,000 (Tk3,458) for testing.
Professor Nazrul Islam Noted virologist, member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19, told Dhaka Tribune that he was not sure how much the cost should be in Bangladesh, but the price should be slashed further since the price of the kits and raw materials had dropped.
“The health sectors need a lot more people to manage the whole Covid-19 situation. Since the raw materials and test kit price has gone down, the government should consider setting a new and affordable price for RT-PCR and rapid antigen testing,” he told the correspondent.
Dr Md Ehteshamul Huq Choudhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Medical Association, told Dhaka Tribune private laboratories charge Tk3,000 for standard RT-PCR Covid tests, and Tk2,500 for travellers as those are the prices set by the government.
“I hope there will not be a huge spike of the Covid-19 cases in the future and fewer people will need to take the test,” he said.
When asked whether private laboratories had received any direction from the government to slash prices further, he said no fresh instructions had been issued.
