AP purchases Rapid Test Kits by spending much more high prices than other states

Amaravati: The AP government purchased Rapid Test kits of COVID19 from South Korea at Rs 730, whereas the neighbouring Chhattisgarh able to procure the same at just Rs 337. AP ordered 10 lakh test kits, out of them 1 lakh already received, as announced by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy while launching the kits a couple o days ago. On the other hand, the officials claiming that they can still negotiate on the final price.

The Health, Medical and Family Welfare department officially announced that it got the kits at around Rs 700 per kit. It further explained that, "The final prices are being negotiated. We are in touch with other states like Chattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka regarding the pricing of rapid kits. We will clarify further in this regard", the department announced in a Tweet. Despite of repeated attempts to take further clarity on it from KS Jawahar Reddy, Special Chief Secretary, Health, Medical and Family Welfare, he did not respond.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo tweeted that, "We are procuring 75,000 high quality rapid testing kits at a benchmark price of ₹337 + GST from a South Korean company based in India, which has proven to be the lowest bidder. The rate we have been able to close at is the lowest in India." This tweet is viral in Andhra Pradesh and put the state government in pressure to answer for difference in purchasing the product.

On the other hand, former minister and TDP leader Nakka Ananda Babu criticised that it was so sad to see that the YSRCP leaders were trying to make money during the pandemic times.

BJP AP president Kanna Lakshminarayana also criticised the government by suspecting scam in purchasing the kits at high prices.

It is worth mention here that, the Standard Q COVID19 IgM/IgG Duo Test Kit is being purchased from SD Biosensor, South Korea. It is a rapid immunochromatography test designed for the qualitative presumptive detection of specific IgM and IgG to COVID19 in humoral fluid. Rapid testing for COVID19 antibodies will be conducted within 10 minutes by using just 10ul of specimen. Whole blood, serum, plasma could be used to test the virus.