The Peshawar High Court has taken notice of the increase in fee of out patient department (OPD) of the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar. The administration of the LRH, the largest hospital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, increased the OPD fee from Rs20 to Rs30 and issued a notification in this regard.

The PHC has expressed annoyance over increase in the fee and sought reply from the hospital director in this regard.

Justice Qaiser Khursheed asked the hospital administration on what grounds they increased the OPD fee. On Wednesday, the hospital director appeared before the court. The court ordered that the OPD fee of LRH must be brought back to Rs20 with immediate effect.

The LRH administration in its notification had said that the OPD fee will be increased by 150 percent during the next six months. It had said that the OPD fee will be increased to Rs40 from 1 April. It further said the OPD fee will be further raised to Rs50 from 1 July.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019