Covid-19 test price caps not for public

Updated 2 years ago · Published on 18 Jun 2021 10:27AM · 1 Comments

The cap on the prices of Covid-19 tests at private healthcare facilities does not apply to individual Malaysians, who will have to also pay for consultation, laboratory charges and other costs that come with a screening. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, June 18, 2021.

CEILING prices for Covid-19 tests at private healthcare facilities are only for private laboratories, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia president clarified today.

Dr Kuljit Singh said the public will have to pay more for the tests after laboratory charges and other costs are factored in.

He said the ceiling prices, gazetted on May 17 under the Emergency Ordinance 2021, do not include the costs of delivery of samples, tracing results, consultation, and protective equipment for hospital staff.
 
“This was confirmed in a letter from the Deputy Director General of Health (Research and technical Support) dated June 1, 2021 to all the private laboratories,” he said in a statement.

On the peninsula, the ceiling prices are RM150 for a polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, RM60 (RTK-antigen test), and RM50 (RTK-antibody test).

In Sabah and Sarawak, the ceiling prices are RM200 (RT-PCR), RM80 (RTK-antigen), and RM70 (RTK-antibody).
 
Kuljit said the private hospitals will display the prices of the tests but they will vary from facility to facility.

“Private hospitals will display the final Covid-19 test charges which will include the laboratory charges and other costs for the public to choose and decide and it will vary from each hospital based on its service and geographical location.

“However, they will be kept as low as possible.”

On Tuesday, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the prices of Covid-19 tests have been capped to ensure that they remain reasonable. – June 18, 2021.

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Comments

  • Sure enough these private hospitals are beginning to show their real motives when they clamoured to give vaccines. The key word is PROFIT. Even for these tests they are 'factoring in' so many expenses. They will do the same for vaccines too. Stay with the government and save some of your hard earned money.

    Posted 2 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply