Private labs that offer COVID-19 tests and screenings, seem to have been the biggest financial beneficiaries during the pandemic.
The raised demand for tests, at a time when the public healthcare system wasn’t offering them, meant the private sector was able to acquire earnings up to 12 times higher than in previous years.
Some private medical labs secured profits they had never seen before the pandemic. The need for COVID-tests led to long queues in front of laboratories that went as far as offering their services in border crossings where they administered tampons, at a price that was initially as high as €90 euros.
Genius Lab, was amongst the first to start offering COVID tests. It made a profit of €1.9 million euros, compared to the €147 000 euros it declared the previous year (2019). Intermedica, quadrupled its profits, making €2.2. million euros during the first pandemic year.
Meanwhile, private hospitals have also reported higher year-round profits. Since July, the ministry of health has licensed a total of 12 private lab clinics, which were supposedly only meant to test citizens who needed documents authorizing them to travel.
However, these private subjects also took on symptomatic individuals, in cases when the public health sector wasn’t able to serve them.
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