Fake Covid-19 tests behind reduced foreign flights: Saleh

KABUL (Pajhwok): The credibility of passenger flights from Afghanistan was hurt after some private medical laboratories provided fake coronavirus tests to passengers, Vice President Amrullah Saleh said on Tuesday.

Saleh at his daily 6:30am meeting discussed the matter of fake coronavirus tests to passengers by some laboratories in the country.

Earlier a Pajhwok Afghan News report dated October 15, 2020 revealed that some laboratories in the country provided fake coronavirus tests against money to individuals who wanted to travel abroad.

“Unfortunately, a number of private laboratories in Kabul, by providing fake results to passengers traveling abroad had caused restrictions on flights to some foreign cities and damaged credibility of these laboratories,” he said.

Around 124,000 people were flown out of the country in the past three months, said Saleh who feared the ongoing fraud would lead to a massive reduction in the number of international flights.

Saleh obligated a team of volunteers to visit several laboratories and offer bribe in return for a negative Covid19 result in order to identify corrupt hospitals.

He said Afghans had spent over $15 million on coronavirus tests and less than $2 million had been invested in private laboratories.

Hr/nh/ma