Due to the lack of funds, all public sector hospitals have refused to provide the free testing facility to the patients visiting the outpatient departments (OPD). People have to pay huge money to private laboratories. Most of these labs neither have proper testing equipment nor facilities to retain the quality of samples over a long period. Sources in the Health Department say about 35,000 patients visit the OPDs all over the Punjab every day and most of them are advised laboratory tests for their complete investigations.
Most of the private laboratories do not have proper facilities to do tests such as thyroid, IGG and IGM for dengue, PCR for hepatitis C, tuberculosis and other sensitive tests. Private hospitals such as Sahara, Shoukat Khanum, and Aga Khan have set up collection points in various areas to deliver it to their main laboratories. But some of those collection points do not have adequate facilities to take care of the samples which ultimately lose their efficacy. A number of private laboratories are located in Gwalmandi near Mayo Hospital, on Jail Road near Services Hospital and on the roads along Jinnah Hospital Lady Willingdon Hospital and Lahore General Hospital.
Former health secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad had ordered former executive district officer Dr Fiaz Ahmed Ranjha to prepare a list of the laboratories set up outside public sector hospitals, so that a comprehensive crackdown could be started but the officials dragged their feet into the matter and nothing came of it. In the meanwhile, former EDO Dr Fiaz Ahmed Ranjha was suspended for negligence in the anti-dengue campaign and Fawad was removed from his position.
Muhammad Arshad Khokhar, a patient from Mayo Hospital, told Pakistan Today that doctors advised him several tests such as CBC, LFT and RFT and he had paid about Rs 1200 for these tests. He said after complete investigations, doctors sent him to Zeenat Laboratory for PCR because there is no PCR test facility available in Mayo Hospital. Young Doctors Association President Dr Rana Suhail said the government should take stern action against bogus laboratories outside public sector hospitals. He said that these class “C” medical laboratories were thriving due to non-implementation of the “Health Care Bill.”
Health Executive District Officer (EDO) Dr Umar Farooq told Pakistan Today that he did not have proper information about the crackdown ordered on private laboratories by the former health secretary. He said that on the chief minister and the Health Department’s instructions, he had prepared lists of not only private laboratories but also sellers of sub standard medicine. He said that he would take stern action against them very soon.
