Covid-19 rapid tests costs are set to come down by between 40 to 50 per cent from the current Rwf10,000 to allow more people to take tests frequently, government has announced. Since the rapid tests were introduced in the country in December 2020 both in public health facilities and selected private clinics across the country, the cost has remained at a minimum of Rwf 10,000. This is despite the increased global availability of the reagents and supplies which has seen the cost of the test come down in a number of countries. However, Rwanda Biomedical Centre Director General Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, said that plans are underway to bring down the cost of the tests to enable more Rwandans to take tests frequently. Speaking at a local FM station, Nsanzimana said that they are aiming to lower the costs to around Rwf5,000 or Rwf6,000. “The prices are going to come down soon. The reduction in costs has been considered by the government and is in the process of being addressed….we have had engagement with stakeholders including the producers on how we can bring down the cost to around Rwf 5000 to Rwf 6000,” he said. The Head of RBC said that there have also been considerations of having the tests covered by medical insurance. To bring down the cost of a service, the government can either intervene by subsidizing the costs by paying part of it or engage service providers to curb their profit margins. Other options of bringing down the cost of a service is by consolidating orders of reagents and supplies used for the process when ordering from the respective suppliers to enjoy economies of scale and a bargain. The current prices for rapid tests has been said to be prohibitive for many especially with the growing need to test frequently. The New Times spoke to a section of people who said that for the last three weeks or so, they have had to test at least once a week which has driven up the costs. With the recent directive which requires a number of city restaurants to work with accredited private clinics in testing staff and visiting clients for Covid-19 at their premises, the frequency of tests is set to go up. Under the new guidelines, tests must be taken within seven days for visiting clients and every after two weeks for staff. With the costs of rapid tests estimated at Rwf10,000, a number of patrons who spoke to The New Times had said that they found the costs of dining out quite high, calling for a price review. This, they said, meant that to have a meal or coffee at a restaurant, they had to spend an extra Rwf10,000 which many said is more than their expenditure at the said restaurants. The news of potential price revision has been received with excitement with many noting that it could increase the chances of frequent and regular tests. Consolee Imbabazi, one the leaders of a Kimironko market based cooperative, told The New Times that with reduced cost of testing, more market traders are likely to regularly take tests considering that they interact with hundreds of people. She said that the current cost is often prohibitive for many of them who often have to wait for tests by the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (done for free) whenever there is a case at the site. Imbabazi noted that with reduced costs, more traders at the market are likely to be in position to afford a test on their own, consequently reducing transmission. Besides the rapid test, which is the most commonly used, there is also the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, which costs $50 approximately Rwf47,500.
