Like uniformity brought in charges for Corona testing, people have started demanding standardisation of charges for various kinds of tests conducted by pathologists.
Nagpur City, which has about 350 pathological laboratories have different charges for same tests. The difference is huge and usually the patients promptly pay them without any sort of bargaining.
A reader of The Live Nagpur stated that for a tissue culture one laboratory charged Rs 300 and another in different locality charged Rs 750 for the same test. The difference in charges were beyond understanding and assimilation of a common person.
A pathologist, when contacted, stated that usually the charges in pathological labs attached to hospitals are more. He claimed that the charges have not been increased during the Covid 19 pandemic. However, people have started blaming doctors in different fields, pathologists and radiologists of raising the charges during the pandemic.
Although only nominal charges are levied in Government Hospitals, people have little faith in the reports of these labs attached to Government Hospitals. On several occasions doctors there also prefer tests to be conducted by private labs.
The Live Nagpur received phone calls from readers demanding uniformity in the charges at pathological laboratories.
It has also been alleged that there was steep hike in charges, following outbreak of nCorona 19 viral infection in India. The Government had out a cap on charges to be levied for Corona testing. Can similar step be taken for other tests.
It appears a difficult proposition, as the rates of chemicals used in the laboratories have increased. The equipment used earlier have been replaced with modern ones. Besides the salaries to be paid to the staff have also been raised.
Another pathologist claims that like cap on consultation charges of doctors cannot be imposed, charges of tests cannot be specified. The patients, however, argue that cap may not be imposed, but there should be uniformity in charges at different laboratories. The demand is likely to be raised with the Government and also various associations of medical practitioners.
