The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the parliament has instructed the government to take action against private hospitals charging higher fees for PCR tests.
The committee has instructed so following a virtual meeting on Sunday that discussed how some private hospitals are arbitrarily charging higher fees.
National COVID-19 focal person Mahendra Shrestha in response assured that the ministry is preparing to lower the rate for PCR tests as environment is becoming easier for testing but did not reveal how much the fee will be lowered.
The committee has recommended action against health institutions not treating patients.
Members pointed at how the number of persons going for PCR testing has fallen and complained that contact tracing is not being done properly. The committee has suggested to start mobile testing as people are struggling to go to hospitals for PCR testing due to the prohibitory orders.
It has also pointed at the lack of coordination between the Health Ministry and the Home Ministry and ordered them to coordinate in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa assured that the ministry will coordinate with the Health Ministry.
The committee has also drawn the government's attention to harassment of health professionals and asked the Home Ministry to take action against those involved in such harassments. It has similarly drawn the government's attention toward price gouging in medicines.
It has advised the government to form an all-party mechanism at the local level to monitor the fight against pandemic. It has also asked the Health Ministry to refute misinformation and disseminate information about COVID-19 hospitals.
