The government has given permission to a private hospital that had not even applied for permission and another that does not have infrastructure to conduct PCR tests by charging fees.
Health Ministry Spokesperson Dr Jageshwore Gautam confirmed with Setopati that Norvic Hospital and HAMS Hospital have been given permission to do tests by charging fees.
Norvic was not in the list of 19 private laboratories that had initially applied with the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), according to an NPHL source, for permission to do PCR tests while HAMS had applied but has yet to get permission as it lacks PCR machine and other necessary infrastructure.
"HAMS had applied. We had done field inspection accordingly. We have yet to give permission as they don't have PCR machine and lacks other infrastructure," Communication Officer with the NPHL Rajesh Kumar Gupta told Setopati.
The Health Ministry initially had given permission only to Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) and Patan Hospital to do PCR tests charging fees. It had then expanded that to one government hospital in every province.
It then extended the permission to Kathmandu Medical College (KMC) and Star Hospital of Kathmandu but the two hospitals were among the six that the government had granted permission to.
Central Diagnostic Laboratory, Surya Health Care of Lazimpat, Kathmandu, National Path Lab of Butwal and Bageshwori Laboratory of Kohalpur were the other laboratories to initially get permission to do PCR tests. But they cannot collect the samples and are allowed to only test surplus samples in government laboratories.
Gupta revealed that HAMS has asked for another month to prepare infrastructure but that has not stopped the ministry from granting permission to it along with Norvic that had not even applied.
"We will grant permission if they wish to. But it will not be granted if they are not ready," Gautam tried to defend the decision when pointed about lack of preparedness of HAMS. He refused to speak further on the topic.
The government guidelines do not allow private laboratories to collect samples and test them. The Health Ministry will have to send excess samples that the government laboratories cannot test to the private laboratories for testing, according to the guidelines. A team has been formed in the ministry to decide which laboratories to send the extra samples to. The government pays Rs 5,500 for every test they do.
KMC and Star out of those six, and Norvic and HAMS can now collect samples and do tests charging fees after the latest decision. They will have to charge Rs 5,500 for every test that the government has agreed to pay for testing the surplus samples.
The ministry claims that the laboratories have been given permission to collect samples and do tests to ensure that those who need tests don't have to wait for a long time. "We have given permission to the two private laboratories as people who have to go abroad, who are working in diplomatic missions and those wishing to get themselves tested have to wait for a long time with government laboratories," Gautam had argued on Monday.
