Hyderabad : Bribe in conduct of corona tests at government centres

Hyderabad : Demand for bribe in the conduct of Corona tests free of cost to the suspected virus infected patients has been reported in many government testing centres during the lockdown period in the State.

The Medical authorities were charging at least Rs 500 for each Rapid Antigen Test and Rs 1000 for RTPCR test at the testing centres. Currently, as many as 21 RTPCR centres and 1064 Rapid Antizen test centres were providing corona diagnostic services to the needy in the State.

Those who pay bribe were getting the test done instantly and receive the report in a just 24 hours. Others will have to wait for at least three days to undergo RTPCR test in the government diagnostic centres.

More than 1000 compalints were already received from the victims and the issue is under investigation. The menace of demand for bribe was high in the Corona hit districts of Rangareddy , Medchal , Nalgonda and some parts of Greater Hyderabad.

State Medical and Health department officials said that the district authorities were receiving complaints from citizens that they were not being provided test facility though they waited for hours in the beelines before the testing centres, officials said that soon after the government imposed lockdown from May 11, the demand for bribe to conduct corona tests increased as many senior health officials who were appointed as test centre incharges dedicated most of their time to provide treatment to the corona patients in the government run hospitals.

As there is no higher authority, the paramedical staff deputed at the testing centres were flouting all norms in registering the names of persons.

A special task force is already constituted to monitor the functioning of test centres on a daily basis. All the testing centre in-charges have been asked to submit the details of the registered persons for tests and ensure every one who visited the centre will undergo test on the same day.