The Public Health Reference Lab in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has encountered a grave situation as funds have dried up, leading to the closure of the lab. Not only are the employees left without their salaries, but the lab is also unable to provide necessary funds for their wages.
As a result, 73 employees, hired on a daily wage basis, will be sent home next month due to the lack of funds. Documents reveal that the lab requires a monthly sum of 28 million Pakistani rupees to cover the salaries of its staff.
This lab, which has conducted over 1.8 million tests for COVID-19 and various other diseases, is now facing the possibility of rendering its modern equipment, worth 210 million rupees, inactive if the employees are laid off. Additionally, the administrative body will face significant challenges in managing the situation due to the complexities involved in sending the employees back to their homes.