A hepatitis C test costs PKR 1,855 at Marham Health+, down from PKR 2,650, with free home sample collection in Lahore. The test is called Anti HCV, no fasting is needed, and it screens for hepatitis C exposure from a single blood sample.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Lab name | Anti HCV |
| Also called | HCV test, Hepatitis C antibody test, HCV screening |
| Marham Health+ price | PKR 1,855 (from PKR 2,650) |
| What it detects | Antibodies to the hepatitis C virus, not the virus itself |
| Sample | Blood from a vein in your arm |
| Fasting | Not required |
| Time taken | Under 5 minutes |
| Home sample | Free, available in Lahore |
People usually book this test before surgery, before donating blood, after a dental or medical procedure, or because a family member was diagnosed. Known as ہیپاٹائٹس سی ٹیسٹ in Urdu, it is the first step in finding an infection that now has a cure. You can book yours on Marham in a couple of minutes.
Hepatitis C Test Price in Pakistan (2026)
Here is the rate you get when you book through Marham Health+, with free home sample collection included.
| Test | Coverage | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Anti HCV at Marham Health+ | Lahore, free home sample collection | PKR 1,855 (from PKR 2,650) |
A trained phlebotomist collects your sample at home in Lahore, which many people prefer for this particular test, and your report reaches you online privately.
Marham Health+ Lahore
Book Your Hepatitis C Test for PKR 1,855
Anti HCV screening with free home sample collection in Lahore. Private online report.
✓ Free home sample in Lahore ✓ Private report ✓ Accredited lab
Or call the Marham helpline: 0311 1222398
What Is the Anti HCV Test?
Anti HCV looks for antibodies, which are the marks your immune system leaves behind after meeting the hepatitis C virus. It does not look for the virus itself.
That distinction matters more than anything else on this page. Think of antibodies as footprints in sand. Footprints prove someone walked past. They do not prove that person is still standing there.
What Your Anti HCV Result Actually Means
This is where most people panic unnecessarily, so read it carefully.
| Result | What It Means | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Non reactive (negative) | No antibodies found. Usually means no hepatitis C | Nothing further, unless you were exposed in the last 3 months |
| Reactive (positive) | You met the virus at some point. It does not confirm you have it now | An HCV RNA PCR test to check whether the virus is still present |
A positive Anti HCV is not a diagnosis of hepatitis C. A meaningful share of people clear the virus on their own within months of catching it, yet their antibodies stay in the blood for life. Those people test positive forever while carrying no virus at all. Others were treated and cured years ago, and they also stay positive.
Only the PCR test can tell the difference:
| HCV RNA PCR | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Detected | Active infection. This is treatable and in most cases curable |
| Not detected | No active virus. Past exposure only, nothing to treat |
So if your Anti HCV comes back positive, do not lose sleep and do not start any medicine. Take the report to a doctor and get the PCR done. That result decides everything.
The Window Period: One Reason a Negative Can Mislead
Antibodies take time to appear. After a fresh exposure, it usually takes about 8 to 11 weeks before the Anti HCV test can pick them up, and occasionally longer. Testing too early can return a negative even though the virus is present.
If you are testing because of a specific recent event, such as a needle stick, a blood transfusion, or a procedure, tell your doctor the date. They may ask you to repeat the test after 3 months, or go straight to PCR, which detects the virus much sooner.
Why This Test Matters So Much in Pakistan
Pakistan carries one of the heaviest hepatitis C burdens on earth. An estimated 9.8 million people, around 4.3 percent of the population, live with hepatitis C, and most of them do not know. Roughly one in twenty Pakistanis has been infected at some point.
What makes our situation unusual is how it spreads. In most countries the driver is injecting drug use. Here, the main route is healthcare itself: reused syringes, unnecessary injections, poorly sterilised instruments, and unscreened blood. Ordinary things carry risk, including barber razors, dental work, tattoos, ear and nose piercing, and manicure tools.
Hepatitis C is quiet. It can sit in the liver for 20 or 30 years causing nothing you would notice, while slowly scarring it. By the time symptoms arrive, the damage is often cirrhosis or liver cancer. That is why testing matters before you feel anything.
Who Should Get Tested
- Anyone who has never been tested. One test in a lifetime is the minimum in a country with this burden
- You have had any blood transfusion, surgery, or dialysis
- You have received injections or drips at a clinic, especially where syringes may be reused
- You have had dental treatment
- You get shaves at a barber, or share razors, nail cutters, or toothbrushes
- You have a tattoo, a piercing, or have used shared manicure tools
- A household member or spouse has hepatitis C
- You are pregnant or planning pregnancy
- You are due for surgery, donating blood, or applying for a visa or job that requires screening
- Your LFT report showed raised liver enzymes
How to Prepare and What Happens During the Test
Before the test
- No fasting is needed. Eat and drink as normal.
- No special preparation at all. You can take your usual medicines.
- If you are testing after a specific exposure, note the date and tell your doctor, because timing changes how the result is read.
During and after the test
- A phlebotomist ties a band around your upper arm and cleans the inside of your elbow.
- A few millilitres of blood are drawn into a small tube.
- The whole process takes under 5 minutes and feels like a quick pinch.
- You can go straight back to normal activity afterwards.
- Your report reaches you online, privately.
The Good News: Hepatitis C Is Curable
This is the part too few people in Pakistan know. Hepatitis C used to mean long, harsh treatment with poor odds. That is no longer true.
Modern tablets called direct acting antivirals cure the great majority of people, usually in about 12 weeks, with few side effects. Pakistan produces these medicines locally, so they cost a fraction of what they do in most countries, and government programmes provide treatment in many areas.
A cure means the virus is gone from your blood for good. The only thing standing between most people and that outcome is a test they never took.
Related Tests You Can Book
Doctors frequently order these alongside a hepatitis C test, and they can be taken from the same sample during the same visit.
| Test | What It Checks | Book |
|---|---|---|
| Anti HBs / HBsAg | Hepatitis B. Usually screened together with hepatitis C | Book |
| LFT (Liver Function Test) | Liver enzymes, which show whether the liver is inflamed | Book |
| CBC (Complete Blood Count) | Platelets and blood counts, which drop as liver disease advances | Book |
| Anti HIV 1 and 2 | Often screened alongside hepatitis before surgery or donation | Book |
| RFT (Renal Function Test) | Kidney function, checked before starting hepatitis treatment | Book |
Never Been Tested? Do It This Week
A trained phlebotomist collects your sample at home in Lahore, free, and your report reaches you online privately.
Book Anti HCV with Home Sample
Helpline: 0311 1222398 (9:00 AM to 11:00 PM)
ہیپاٹائٹس سی ٹیسٹ کی قیمت اور تفصیل
ہیپاٹائٹس سی کے ٹیسٹ کو لیب میں اینٹی ایچ سی وی کہا جاتا ہے۔ لاہور میں مرہم ہیلتھ پلس کے ذریعے آپ یہ ٹیسٹ 1,855 روپے میں، مفت ہوم سیمپل کلیکشن کے ساتھ، گھر بیٹھے کروا سکتے ہیں۔ اس کے لیے فاقہ ضروری نہیں اور رپورٹ آن لائن ملتی ہے۔ سب سے اہم بات یہ سمجھ لیں: یہ ٹیسٹ وائرس نہیں بلکہ اینٹی باڈیز تلاش کرتا ہے۔ اگر رپورٹ پازیٹو آئے تو اس کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ وائرس کبھی جسم میں آیا تھا، یہ نہیں کہ ابھی موجود ہے۔ تصدیق کے لیے پی سی آر ٹیسٹ ضروری ہے۔ اس لیے پازیٹو رپورٹ پر گھبرائیں نہیں اور خود سے کوئی دوا شروع نہ کریں۔
پاکستان میں ہیپاٹائٹس سی بہت عام ہے اور تقریباً ہر بیس میں سے ایک شخص کبھی نہ کبھی اس وائرس سے متاثر ہو چکا ہے۔ یہاں یہ زیادہ تر استعمال شدہ سرنج، بار بار لگنے والے ٹیکوں، دانتوں کے علاج، نائی کے استرے اور غیر محفوظ خون کی منتقلی سے پھیلتا ہے۔ یہ بیماری برسوں تک کوئی علامت ظاہر نہیں کرتی اور خاموشی سے جگر کو نقصان پہنچاتی رہتی ہے۔ اچھی خبر یہ ہے کہ اب اس کا علاج موجود ہے اور تقریباً بارہ ہفتوں کی گولیوں سے یہ مکمل ٹھیک ہو جاتی ہے۔ اگر آپ نے کبھی یہ ٹیسٹ نہیں کروایا تو زندگی میں ایک بار ضرور کروا لیں۔
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a hepatitis C test cost in Pakistan?
At Marham Health+ the hepatitis c test price is PKR 1,855, reduced from PKR 2,650, for the Anti HCV screening test. Home sample collection in Lahore is free.
Does a positive Anti HCV mean I have hepatitis C?
No. A positive Anti HCV means you were exposed to the virus at some point. Some people clear it naturally and keep the antibodies for life, and treated people stay positive too. An HCV RNA PCR test is needed to confirm whether the virus is still active.
Anti HCV test kya hota hai?
یہ خون کا ٹیسٹ ہے جو ہیپاٹائٹس سی وائرس کے خلاف بننے والی اینٹی باڈیز تلاش کرتا ہے۔ پازیٹو رپورٹ کا مطلب ہے کہ وائرس کبھی جسم میں آیا تھا۔ تصدیق کے لیے پی سی آر ٹیسٹ ضروری ہے۔
Do you need to fast for a hepatitis C test?
No. The Anti HCV test needs no fasting and no special preparation. You can eat, drink, and take your usual medicines as normal.
Is hepatitis C curable?
Yes. Modern direct acting antiviral tablets cure the great majority of people, usually within about 12 weeks. These medicines are made in Pakistan and are far cheaper here than in most countries. The test is the first step.
Final Thoughts
Hepatitis C is common in Pakistan, silent for decades, and now curable. Those three facts together make one blood test worth far more than it costs. If you have never been tested, do it once. If your Anti HCV is positive, do not panic and do not self medicate, because it may well mean nothing more than an old exposure. Get the PCR, see a doctor, and find out where you actually stand.
