Health Ministry PS dR Diana Atwiine
The Ministry of Health has announced a 23% cut on the cost of Covid19 testing which was introduced back in August amid public outcry.
The Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwiine announced that the testing cost was being trimmed from $65 (UGX 240,500) to $50 (UGX 185,000).
The $65 charge was introduced on 27th August 2020, supposedly to take some pressure off of government testing centres.
It was meant to be paid by Individuals and Organizations that sought voluntary Covid19 testing.
This was however met with strong public outcry and concern that it would discourage most Ugandans from seeking Covid19 testing.
However, Dr Atwiine says, testing costs have since reduced prompting the reduction on the charge.
“The cost of transporting Laboratory testing kits and other supplies from the point of manufacture to the country has reduced due to resumption of international flights,” Atwiine said in a communique to various stakeholders.
“It is upon this background that the Ministry of Health has reduced the cost of COVID-19 testing from for people seeking testing services in Government Laboratories including truck drivers at the different Points of Entry; individuals seeking to know their COVID-19 status; people seeking COVID-19 certificates for international travel; organizations (both Government and private) that wish to test their staff for purposes of prevention; Ugandans and visitors from abroad without negative COVID-19 certificates.”
Government nonetheless is still offering free testing services to patients who present to Health facilities with COVID-19 symptoms, contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-19, community surveys to establish the extent of spread of the virus, surveillance samples and Frontline Healthcare workers.
