By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept. 22: The Department of Supply Management and Protection of Consumer Interests (DSMPCI) has begun an investigation and prepared to write letters to the private hospitals for charging high rates for COVID-19 tests.
"The Department has received necessary replies from the Ministry of Health and Population on Monday after writing a letter seeking proper authorisation and clarification in the case of the private hospitals which are charging higher price than the government-fixed rate for conducting Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test of COVID-19 suspects," Netra Prasad Subedi, director general at the Department, told The Rising Nepal.
“As we got necessary order and mandate for taking action against such private hospitals, we are now planning to write to them asking to furnish their clarifications for denying to abide by the government instructions,” said Subedi.
According to him, the Department had received complaints from the patients who were forced to pay higher charges to have their PCR tests in the private hospitals, citing that they were cheated by the private hospitals.
National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) under the Department of Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Population has given permission to conduct the PCR tests to 15 private hospitals, including some laboratories, out of 48 approved test centres across the country.
Private hospitals, namely Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Star Hospital, B&B Hospital, Central Diagnostic Laboratory and Research Centre, Hospital of Advanced Medicine and Surgery (HAMS), Sooriya Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, Intrepid Diagnostic Centre, and Decode Genomics and Research Centre, are likely to face action for charging higher amounts for conducting PCR tests.