PM Says “Good For Them” When Asked About the Cost of Private COVID Testing

The Opposition, United Democratic Party, has come out swinging against the Government for, in their view, not making COVID testing readily accessible to the public, forcing many to have to pay for tests done privately. Prime Minister John Briceno denied that claim, saying that the Ministry of Health has opened up more testing sites where people can get tested free of cost.  He said the testing that is done in the private healthcare service is mainly for traveling and tourism-related purposes. Those test prices can range anywhere from seventy-five dollars to one hundred and fifty dollars – a lucrative business in the eyes of a lot of people. The PM sees nothing wrong with the prices being charged.

Prime Minister John Briceno

Prime Minister John Briceno

“Good for them. I mean, in my business I try to maximize my profit. What we have to ensure is that they don’t take advantage of poor people, and that’s what we’re doing. That is why we make testing free to our citizens. Because of that need, we have been opening up more centers, we’re decentralizing the testing and probably – I hope and I expect that in the not too distant future – probably you’ll be able to go to a pharmacy and get tested because you don’t need a doctor or a nurse to be able to get a test.”