PHC seals three labs

LAHORE:The Punjab Healthcare Commission on Wednesday sealed three laboratories for forging fake medical test reports by bogus labs.

PHC had received a report that travel agents had connived with a few testing laboratories to dupe intending visitors to the Gulf region. They were asked to go through different medical tests at specified labs prior to getting visas and proceeding abroad. To probe the matter, PHC teams carried out raids in Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi, where they sealed Universal Medical Lab (Allama Iqbal Town), Gulf Laboratory (Chungi 7) and Al-Azan Medical Diagnostic Centre (Saidpur Road) respectively. It was found that these so-called labs were not registered with the PHC with no equipment and qualified staff.

Neither any pathologist nor qualified staff was appointed to carry out even basic blood tests. Moreover, these centres did not have any authorisation from any of the Gulf countries. The record of these centres has been confiscated, and notices have been issued to carry out further proceedings against these labs.