Even COVID-19 seems to have given a fertile ground for irregularity for ill-motivated individuals working for some private hospitals and labs. Such charlatans have been found involved in getting fake PCR test reports issued to those going abroad for a job. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic about two years ago, those going for foreign employments have been required to show their PCR negative reports before flying abroad. The frauds have been found misusing this provision by selling fake PCR reports. What is shocking is the fact that they produced such bogus reports even without taking swab samples of the individuals concerned. In many cases, those who have already tested negative for the coronavirus are seen giving their swab samples for PCR reports of others.

According to a news report carried by this daily on Thursday, police have found several employees of two hospitals -- Nagarik Community Teaching Hospital Limited based in Kaushaltar of Bhaktapur, and Kantipur Hospital located at Tinkune of Kathmandu -- involved in such illegal activities. Five employees working in these two hospitals have already been in the police net. One of them was the lab manager of Nagarik Community Hospital. For that, the tricksters have charged a hefty amount from their clients than that of the rates fixed by the government. Each of the foreign job aspirants was found to have paid up to Rs. 10,000 for a fake PCR negative report. Such reports can also be accessed through QR code. They are alleged to have been working in collusion with middlemen, the lab staff and the hospital management to operate this illicit business.

The police team has also seized dozens of fake PCR test reports from those persons. The police made the arrests based on a tip-off. Police have also confiscated a computer and other equipment used in making fake PCR test reports and PCR test registers from the labs of the two hospitals. The raid was made under the witness of representatives from the National Public Health Laboratory based in Teku. The Metropolitan Crime Control Division is also searching for proprietors of the two labs as well as the lab physician who signed on the fake PCR reports. It has moved the investigation process ahead by sealing off the labs of the two hospitals. With such unlawful activities being reported frequently in Nepal, trustworthiness of mandatory PCR reports has come into question. The issuance of such reports has also caused damage to the country's reputation in the international arena.

It may be recalled here that the officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) had to prohibit as many as 122 passengers from flying abroad in April last year when their PCR reports were found to be bogus. Of them, 72 were Nepalis, 49 Indians and one Pakistani. Similarly, in October and November 2020, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) flights to Hong Kong were suspended for three times after some of its passengers were tested positive for the deadly virus. These particular incidents not only caused inconvenience to general passengers but also tarnished the country's image. Taking all this into serious consideration, the responsible authorities need to intensify supervision of hospitals and labs and take stern legal actions against those violating medical ethics and helping in the spread of the dangerous virus.