Shocking test results

It is shocking to hear that some private testing laboratories in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are issuing incorrect medical test results to patients. A number of cases have emerged of patients being given wrong results for HIV/Aids tests. At least a dozen patients were initially given results that showed that they had tested positive in the HIV/Aids tests. But when tests were carried out at a government Aids centre, the same patients were found to be unaffected and safe from the threat. One can imagine the trauma and social pressure they must have faced as a result. The questions to ask the health authorities in the province are: how prevalent is the phenomenon of mis-testing and what do the authorities intend to do about it? And some honest responses are needed.

One does not know what other tests have been inaccurately reported in such private labs. As a first step, the government needs to close down the labs which issued the inaccurate results and punish those responsible for scare-mongering. This should be the priority to set an example for others.

For a long-term solution, the government should inquire about the rules and regulations for such laboratories. If the rules are inadequate, then an initiative should be taken to introduce proper laws. Effective regulation and monitoring should be introduced at all levels. If provincial laws are adequate, then corruption can be the cause of this problem. The relevant inspectors or regulatory bodies would need to be asked where they have been negligent and what can be done to address the problem. Diagnostic laboratories operate under different rules and regulations in provinces and this needs to be standardised so that the general public does not have to suffer the consequences. A proper mechanism should be put in place to check and verify rates charged by the labs for facilities offered. In the same way a procedure should also be introduced for addressing public complaints. We watch and wait for the results.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2017.

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