The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) has directed laboratories in the province to charge no more than Rs. 850 for the dengue NS1 test.
The decision was made in cognizance of Sindh still grappling with the aftermath of the recent floods, and that refugees should not be burdened with the expensive tests.
The News quoted the CEO of the SHCC, Dr. Ahson Qavi, saying that it was decided in a meeting of the representatives of all the private labs and private hospitals in the province that the public should not be charged more than Rs. 850 for the dengue NS1 antigen test.
He explained that Sindh has hundreds of dengue virus patients and people cannot afford to pay between Rs. 1,400 and Rs. 3,000 for a diagnostic test, which is why the SHCC has fixed its price at Rs. 850 after consultations with the representatives of private laboratories.
Dr. Qavi added that the price of the Complete Blood Count (CBC) test will cost only Rs. 250, and the immunochromatographic test (ICT) for the detection of the malarial parasite is priced at just Rs. 500.
On the other hand, the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation Authority (IHRA) has set the price of the NS1 enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) test for dengue at Rs. 1,800 as a maximum price until 31 December after consulting private laboratories and hospitals on the matter. The price will be maintained at private and government hospitals and laboratories in the federal capital.
A notification regarding this was also sent to the Chief Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner (DC), the CEO of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and other hospitals and laboratories.
The IHRA also warned that non-compliance with the decision would result in penalization in line with the IHR Act 2018, which includes de-registration, sealing of premises, fines, or imprisonment. Similarly, the Ministry of Health said that action will be taken against entities that charge higher fees for the dengue test than the prescribed amount in Islamabad, as private laboratories were found to be charging as much as Rs. 3,000 for it.