The Supreme Court has issued an order of mandamus to the government to conduct free of cost PCR tests across the country.

A joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Tanka Bahadur Moktan on Thursday issued the order in the name of the Ministry of Health and Population.

Advocates Keshar Jung KC and Lokendra Oli had filed a writ on September 13 seeking mandamus from the apex court, saying that basic health care is a fundamental right of every Nepali citizen as provisioned in the constitution.

Advocate Oli said that the government should conduct free PCR test for all citizens after the Supreme Court’s order. The writ petition stated that while the President, Prime Minister, ministers and MPs were receiving free PCR tests, it was illegal for the government to charge Rs 2,000 from the public for the same.