Covid-19 testing at all airports stepped up a notch

Govt takes decision after some passengers were caught with fake reports

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government has decided to make it mandatory for airlines to verify the medical test reports of passengers travelling to other countries, especially Dubai, through the relevant lab portal and PQR code as some passengers have been caught using forged reports.

According to sources, the decision has been taken after some airlines accepted the Covid-19 test reports of passengers without PQR code and online portal verification.

At the behest of the Islamabad Diagnostic Centre (IDC), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) launched an investigation into the matter and sealed fake labs in various cities of the country issuing reports in the name of IDC and also arrested several counterfeiters.

Officials said that the operation was carried out on the complaint of some airlines that a Covid-19 victim was cleared due to negligence on the part of the authorities, adding that some airlines verified the medical reports of the passengers online from the relevant lab portal and PQR code. “They were clearing without checking and several passengers have been caught.”

The tests of the apprehended passengers came Covid-19 positive after which it was decided that passengers will have to submit test reports issued by authorised laboratories and with a PQR code.

Recently, the FIA launched a crackdown on those who submit fake medical test reports. It was revealed that passengers travelling abroad were provided fake medical reports in the name of IDC.

Sources said that since the test of Covid-19 was made mandatory to travel abroad, the agent mafia has become active and is preparing fake test reports from other cities by charging huge fees from the passengers going abroad.

The reports were prepared in the name of the country's largest and ISO-certified lab, which was seized by the FIA.

IDC spokesperson said that IDC (ISO 15189) is a Certified Imaging and Lab Diagnostic Centre and the reports of the institute have PQR codes while the portal also carries records.

The IDC management had identified the elements to the airport authorities on which the FIA took action against them as they were trying to defame the institution, he added.

The spokesperson said that his company had been operating in 16 cities across the country for the last 17 years and was using the US FDA-approved Triple Target Advanced Kits (BIORAD CFX-96 (USA) for Covid-19 test.

Ever since the outbreak started, the IDC has been working on the frontline against this epidemic and along with the National Institute of Health, it is playing a role in enhancing the capacity of Covid-19 tests in the country.

“Some passengers, who submitted fake reports without being verified by the airport authorities, were caught.”

He said that the PQR codes are installed on the reports and they can also be verified through the IDC portal.

He said that further action was being taken against those who submitted fake test reports in the name of IDC for travelling abroad and the centre had identified these elements.