The PCR machine installed at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Mardan has remained inactive for the past several years, depriving the public of this important diagnostic facility, sources told The Nation.
Impact on Patients
Sources said that PCR testing plays a vital role in diagnosing various diseases. However, due to the non-functional machine at the government hospital, patients are forced to seek testing services from private laboratories, where they are charged around Rs5,000 per test. Citizens say that if the PCR machine were operational at the hospital, the same test could be conducted at a much lower cost, providing significant relief to poor and middle-class patients.
Public Demand for Restoration
People have demanded that the provincial government and the Health Department immediately activate the PCR machine at DHQ Mardan and restore testing services so that citizens can access modern diagnostic facilities at affordable rates. Citizens have particularly appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Secretary to take immediate notice of the issue in the public interest and ensure necessary measures are taken so that patients do not have to bear additional expenses at private laboratories.
Hospital Administration's Response
When contacted, Medical Superintendent (MS) DHQ Hospital, Dr Fahim Roghani, said that the machine is not out of order. He explained that it was provided under a Prime Minister’s programme, which initially supplied testing kits free of cost, but later discontinued their provision. He said the machine remains the property of the federal government. “We requested the authorities to hand it over to us so that we could make it fully operational, but we received no response, nor was the machine formally transferred to us,” he said. Dr Roghani added that once the machine is officially handed over, the hospital administration will make it functional. He further said that he had discussed the matter with the Health Secretary. “The Secretary has given me permission to make the machine operational and resume testing services in the public interest. We will make it functional within the next few days,” he maintained.
