BAHAWALNAGAR-A three-member committee has inquired into the allegations of corruption in the purchase of medicines and recommended stern action against three medical superintendents of local government hospitals after declaring them guilty.
Bahawalnagar Deputy Commissioner Azhar Hayyat had constituted the committee to probe the irregularities, and said that after the findings of the probe, the action would be taken against the responsible persons.
The committee after conducting thorough inquiry found negligent three medical superintendents including DHQ Hospital MRana Imtiaz, MS Dr Rao Tahir and THQ Chishtian MS Anwar Kharal as medicine were purchased during year 2016-2017 on inflated rates.
The probing committee recommended action against the aforesaid officers. It was observed that blue-eyed contractors M M Baig Enterprises were mostly obliged in the award of the contract of the purchase of medicines. The contractors earned enormously and caused the national kitty a loss of millions of rupees.
The committee also asked the aforesaid three medical superintendents to report to Primary and Secondary Health Department. The city circles lauded the action against the responsible persons who caused huge loss to the national exchequer.
Earlier, financial irregularities had been unearthed in the affairs of the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Bahawalnagar as its managed purchased medicines from a company at inflated rates thereby causing huge loss to the national exchequer.
With the connivance of corrupt officials of health department, the pharmaceutical company had supplied medicines to the hospital at highly inflated rates. For instance, a heparotex injection was supplied at Rs550 instead of its prescribed rate of Rs261. Likewise, blood tubing line is sold at Rs300 instead of its official price of Rs169 to the hospital by the company.
The health officials purchased various drugs from the firm at very high rates while the rates prescribed by the health authorities for the medicines are remarkably low. They purchased the medicines at higher prices and got commission from the firm causing huge loss to the national exchequer.
Earlier, Medical Superintendent of the DHQ Hospital and CEO of District Health Authority Abdul Aziz Sheikh said that the medicines were not procured during his tenure, adding that the medicine receipts showed that the drugs were purchased before he had assumed the charge of Medical Superintendent of District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Bahawalnagar.