The Aga Khan Hospital is supposed to be a charitable institution, yet they charge humongous amounts for blood tests. I used to go to the oldest lab in Karachi (Salim Laboratories, later re-named The Lab). Even though there are other labs that charge less than The Lab, it is reputedly the most reliable one. Now that it has shifted to a new location I'm hesitant to go there due to the time and distance involved.
I remember, when Essa Labs first started operations, one of their representatives offered my family doctor forty percent commission on every test recommended by him. Being a God-fearing man (even though he's not a Muslim), my doctor was incensed. "Why don't you lower your prices by forty percent?" he roared before telling the representative to leave. This explains why all laboratories want to know the name of the patient's doctor. This collusion between doctors and pharmaceutical companies (as well as labs) is the reason why medical treatment is so expensive in the country.
Unfortunately, there is no way to curb this malpractice. The whole country is mired in corruption and there's no way it can improve.
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