THE Lagos State Government has announced on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 that there will be a reduction in the cost of the COVID-19 PCR tests at its accredited private laboratories from ₦50,400 to ₦45,250.
This cost will take effect from Friday, January 28th, 2022. Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, who announced the reduction at his office in Alausa, Ikeja said that the COVID-19 PCR test cost was reviewed by the Lagos State COVID-19 Incident Command Structure and approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“In line with the directive of Mr. Governor, the Lagos State Biobank has reviewed the processes involved in conducting a COVID-19 PCR test at the accredited private laboratories consortium and based on this, made a recommendation to the Governor for a reduction.
“For those that need to travel and require a private PCR test, the Lagos State Government has recommended a reduction in the cost of COVID-19 PCR test at the accredited private laboratories consortium from ₦50,400 to ₦45,250 per PCR test commencing on the 28th of January 2022.
“You will recall that ₦50,400 initial PCR test fee charged at the private laboratories was a fixed amount approved by the Governor during the expansion of our testing to include the private laboratories consortium in the first wave.
“This strategy was to expand testing outlets available to the public but more importantly to ensure price control standardization and avoid exploitation of the public, as there were huge cost variations in PCR testing in the private sector ranging from ₦70,000 to as high as ₦300,000 per PCR test.
“Mr. Governor has approved the reduction in cost of the PCR test, bringing us to the new cost of ₦45,250 per PCR test. What this implies is that the Lagos State Government will enforce the new cost of PCR tests conducted at the private laboratories’ consortium”, Professor Abayomi stated.
The Commissioner said that the state government was concerned about cutting the cost for Lagos residents and encouraged everyone to follow properly COVID-19 guidelines when they plan to travel.
Professor Abayomi reminded the general public that PCR tests are free of charge at any approved public health laboratory and sample collection centres approved by the government.