Private school teachers from Rewari, Mahendragarh visit Rajasthan for free COVID test

Teachers of private schools in Rewari and Mahendragarh districts have found a way to evade the fee slapped by the health authorities for COVID test for non-medical reasons. They are getting the test done from various healthcare institutions in the neighbouring Alwar district of Rajasthan, where the test is for free. Sources say the teachers working in Rewari are approaching the health centre in Bhiwadi town while those of Mahendragarh are visiting Behror town for a COVID test. On getting a negative report, they are submitting it to their school concerned for re-joining schools. COVID test is mandatory for teachers to check the spread of pandemic but the Haryana government has fixed Rs 1,200 for RT-PCR and Rs 650 for rapid antigen test for COVID for those who wish to get themselves tested for non-medical reasons. “I went to the Narnaul Civil Hospital to get my COVID test done before re-joining school but the official on duty asked me to pay the fee for the RT-PCR test, referring to the government order. I was not aware of the orders and came back. Later, a teacher, who had got him tested in Behror for free, suggested me to go there,” said a private school teacher in Mahendragarh. “The next day I tested negative and joined the school. Many other teachers are also following the suit,” he added. Another teacher from Rewari said they could not pay the hefty fee for the test, hence many teachers got themselves tested from Bhiwadi while several others got their test done while standing in the queue of suspected patients of COVID. “It is unfortunate that Haryana teachers have to go to other states to get themselves tested for free. The government must withdraw the order of charging a fee for a COVID test done for non-medical purposes,” said Anil Kaushik, chief, Progressive Private Schools Association, Haryana. Dr Adarsh Aggarwal, COVID in charge, Government Hospital, Behror, said: “We do COVID tests for free. People from the surrounding areas are coming to the hospital for the test.”

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