Government has announced free Coronavirus tests in Pakistan (COVID-19) through government hospitals since Coronavirus has been increasingly affecting Pakistan with every passing day and it is becoming more challenging for the government to provide adequate health facilities for all the patients either suspected or declared confirmed for COVID-19.
According to the latest statistical reports, the tally for confirmed coronavirus patients has reached up to 2,800. Taking a glimpse of the breakdown of this count, Punjab has reported the highest number of coronavirus patients i.e. 1,133, Sindh reported 830 patients, KPK 372, Balochistan 185, Gilgit Baltistan 193, Islamabad 75 while Azad Kashmir has 12 confirmed cases.
As far as the arrangements by the Government of Pakistan are concerned, an emergency has been declared in all hospitals while doctors, nurses and paramedical staff is on duty 24/7.
Special isolation centres have been established within the hospital and in different parts across the country. The doctors, nurses and healthcare workers, however, complain about not being provided with PPE kits for their protection which is making it more challenging for the doctors to fulfil their duty.
Looking for places from where you can COVID-19 free tests in Pakistan?
The testing facility for coronavirus in Pakistan is very expensive to afford for the citizens and many among the masses don’t know about the process, designated centres as well as about the fact that they can avail the facility of free tests.
But before knowing about the testing facility, it is convenient as well as wise at the end of the suspected patients to examine and crosscheck themselves for coronavirus symptoms. Here is how you can do this properly before rushing to any hospital or doctor:
Self-examination for Coronavirus
Following are the steps for self-examination for coronavirus before deciding to visit any hospital or doctor:
- Examine your condition when influenza-like symptoms begin to disturb your condition.
- If it is merely temperature and cough, don’t rush to the hospital. It might be just something seasonal.
- In case if you observe that it is troubling your breathing, pain and pressure in the chest, just like that in pneumonia, it’s the time for you to visit doctor or hospital.
- Sneezing and nasal congestion can be related to seasonal influenza so don’t panic in any case.
Free Medical Tests for Patients
A very few people know that they can avail the facility of free coronavirus test in Pakistan. Here is all that you need to know in this regard:
- According to the details, if a patient is suspecting symptoms of coronavirus, he/she should visit a government-designated public or private hospital.
- According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) official, Dr Mumtaz Ali Khan, all district headquarters hospitals and tertiary care hospitals across the country are equipped to collect samples for coronavirus.
- At the hospital, a doctor will check the patient for symptoms to determine if he or she may have coronavirus, according to NIH Executive Director Maj Gen Aamir Ikram.
- The patient will be asked a set of questions regarding their travel history as well as of those they have been in close contact with.
- If the doctor rules out suspicion of coronavirus, the patient will be sent back.
- If the doctor comes to the conclusion that the patient is manifesting symptoms, a swab of their saliva is taken and sent to one of the designated facilities that have coronavirus testing equipment.
- This testing will be done free of cost, said Ikram.
Designated Centres for Free Coronavirus Testing in Pakistan
The facilities below are only sending samples for free testing to the main centres and will not conduct tests themselves on individual requests.
Punjab
- Services Hospital – Lahore
- Nishtar Hospital – Multan
- Benazir Hospital – Rawalpindi
AJK
- Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan Hospital – Muzaffarabad
- Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences – Muzaffarabad
- Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan Hospital – Rawalakot
- Divisional Headquarters Hospital – Mirpur
- District Headquarters Hospital – Kotli
Sindh
- Chandka Medical College Hospital – Larkana
- Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College – Sukkur
- Peoples Medical University Hospital – Nawabshah
- Civil Hospital – Karachi
- Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre – Karachi
- Lyari General Hospital – Karachi
- Indus Hospital – Karachi
- Aga Khan Hospital – Karachi
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha – Karachi
- SIUT – Karachi
- Ziauddin Hospital – Karachi
- PNS Shifa – Karachi
- Chughtai Lab – Karachi
- Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences – Hyderabad
- Gims – Khairpur
- District Health Offices (DHOs) all over the province
Gilgit-Baltistan
In Gilgit-Baltistan, citizens can contact district health authorities who will come to their homes to collect samples.
KPK
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Police Services Hospital has been made the main centre for dealing with coronavirus cases.
Moreover, citizens can visit their nearest public tertiary healthcare centre or district headquarter hospital for screening.
Why Free tests?
The price of COVID-19 test is around 7,000 to 11,000 if you opt of getting your self checked from any private lab but the majority of the people in Pakistan cannot afford the test so that is the reason why Government of Pakistan is offering free coronavirus tests in Pakistan
