Hospitals Administration of Allied Hospitals (AH) in Rawalpindi has shut the doors of Laboratories for Hepatitis Tests in collision with private labs owners.
Hospital’s laboratory staff refers the patients to the private labs who fleece the poor at asking rates.
According to reports, Punjab Govt had strictly ordered all the Teaching Hospitals to provide the hepatitis test facilities in labs and the charges were fixed at one thousand rupees while the poor and needy were allowed free of cost test facility. As compared to the charges of government hospitals, the private laboratories are charging between Rs 5000 to 13000.
When approached, the Administrations of Holy family, Benazir and District Headquarter Hospitals stated that they have exhausted the stock of PCR kits which are supplied by the Punjab government and they cannot purchase them on their own. They further said that the Provincial government has been requested to provide the required kits and till they are supplied, they cannot undertake the tests.
This situation has created immense problems for the poor patients as most of the people who are referred for Hepatitis tests are poor people.They have requested the Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif to take urgent notice of the situation and take action against those who are least bothered to arrange the essential supplies to hospitals.