BAJURA: A primary health centre has been charging Rs 1,400 per person for conducting rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to check for coronavirus antibodies in Budhinanda Municipality of Bajura district.

Kolti Primary Health Centre has been charging the fee for conducting RDT tests on persons leaving the district and others coming in, as per the decision of the municipality, according to local residents. People taking flight from Kolti Airport to Nepalgunj and vice-versa are required to have the RDT report.

It has been found that the municipality has been collecting money citing that they have purchased the medical kits on their own.

Meanwhile, Bajura's Chief District Officer (CDO) Krishna Gairhe said that a directive has been issued to the municipality urging not to charge any fee for the RDT which the government had announced would be conducted free of charge.

Deputy mayor of the municipality, Srishti Regmi admitted that the municipality has been charging the fee for RDT. She said that she had paid Rs 1,350 (inclusive of VAT) for the kit. She claimed that the municipality conducted RDT free of charge with the kits the government had made available. "Now the municipality has bought the kits with its own resources for which the fee is being charged," she added.

Chief at Kolti Primary Health Centre, Dr Rajuraj Jaisi, has said that the health post has been charging as per the decision made by the municipality.

Likewise, Chief at Bajura District Health Office, Daya Krishna Panta was of the view that the municipality should not have charged any fee for the RDT. He said that he was not authorised to say anything against the decision of the local level.