Maharashtra has fixed the rate for the HRCT (High-Resolution Computerised Tomography) test at Rs 2,000 for testing on a 16 slice machine. It increases to Rs 2,500 for testing on a 16 to 64 slice machine and Rs 3,000 for testing on a 64 to 256 slice machine, said the Minister of State for Public Health and Family Welfare, Rajendra Patil Yadravkar, in a media statement.

HRCT scanning uses X-rays to produce detailed images of the internal organs of a human body. Scans on an HRCT machine are used for capturing cross-sectional photos of organs. The machine places them on top of one another and creates an accurate image of the patient's organs, tissues and bones. In the case of Covid infection, when the lungs get affected, it is used to detect various lung complications, including blood clots.

A four-member committee was formed by the State Government after it noticed that many hospitals and clinics were overcharging for the HRCT test. The rates were decided under the chairmanship of Sudhakar Shinde, Chief Executive Officer, State Health Guarantee Society, the statement said.

The statement said the State Government has fixed the rates of various treatments and tests as a matter of urgency during the ongoing pandemic. Only rates of HRCT and some other tests, were not fixed,

It is to be noted that only 16 slice machines are available in rural areas. Fixing the rates for such machines will benefit the rural poor and will bring uniformity in the health sector, the statement said.

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