‘PCR testing facilities are promoting a business agenda’ says Narine Dilbaryan

Deputy Professor Narine Dilbaryan from the Chair of Armenian Language posted the following comment: “It is already evident that COVID-19, the pandemic that halted the world in front of a major health crisis, has had a significantly positive aspect for some, particularly in the context of the Armenian ‘positive’ impacts. In this sense, the PCR testing facilities have been driving a business program. According to some estimates, tests that originally cost 3-4 thousand drams were marketed at an influential price of 15 thousand drams. This practice continues, and even at airports, small children are being asked for testing that costs 15 thousand drams, the result and quality of which are questionable. The goal seems to be to collect payments; it is a new tax, where the air tax was one, and now the infection tax is another.

However, as the payment capacity of citizens has visibly declined, and, most importantly, testing has become a means of maintaining work every 14 days, the price of the PCR test is indeed decreasing. There are now ‘tempting’ offers at a price of 6-7 thousand drams. The Ministry of Health resolutely refuses to engage with the pricing issues, claiming they are not responsible. However, some body should address this issue. Ensuring exorbitant profits by exploiting the health issue of citizens in an unhealthy business environment during a pandemic is absolutely unacceptable. Where is the government's regulatory hand? Where is the direction and purpose of the exorbitant profits? The State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition exists, as does the anti-corruption agency; why is this situation not attracting the attention of any authority?”