MARDAN: The PCR machine at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Mardan has been inoperative for years, creating problems for the patients visiting the health facility for medical treatment, sources said on Monday.
The sources added that PCR test was vital to diagnose various diseases; however, the equipment was dysfunctional, forcing patients to turn to private laboratories, where about Rs5,000 were charged for the test.
Citizens demanded the government activate the machine to facilitate the patients visiting the DHQ Mardan. “This test can be conducted at a low price at the government-run hospital,” a citizen said, urging the health authorities to provide relief to patients.
They called upon the provincial government and the health department to activate the PCR machine at the District Headquarters Hospital, Mardan, and restore the testing services so that citizens could get modern medical diagnostic facilities at a low cost.
Citizens appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health secretary to take notice of this issue in view of the problems being faced by the patients, who were compelled to visit private laboratories and pay hefty amount for diagnostic facilities.
When contacted, DHQ hospital medical superintendent Dr Fahim Roghani, clarified that the equipment was provided to the hospital under the prime minister’s programme.He maintained that the federal government used to provide free kits to them to conduct the tests. However, he said that the hospital on longer received the kits.
The official said the machine was property of the federal government and they had requested them to hand over the equipment to the province so that we could make it functional, but they did not get any response. He added that he had taken up this issue with the provincial health secretary.
