The Sindh Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), headed by Jam Tamachi Unnar, questioned the Sindh Health Department officials on Friday over massive embezzlements of more than Rs 1.489 billion detected in the department’s audit reports of 2006 to 2009.
Interestingly, all those involved in the irregularities were spared any retribution.
The PAC meeting was held to take a detailed account of the financial misappropriations and issued show-cause notices to the officials involved in corruption.
At the PAC meeting, out of the 30 audit paras, only five could be settled. The remaining 25 paras were deferred for the next meeting as the health officials could not come up with the documentation for expenses at different hospitals and institutions under the department.
Unnar said the health department’s performance was “very poor” with counterfeit drugs and a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural Sindh, being the most pressing issues.
He was, however, satisfied with the overall performance of doctors at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) as compared to other hospitals of the province.
The PAC chairman noted that Rs 126.090 million were spent on the purchase of stationary and some other equipments for the Liaquat University Hospital and People’s Medical College, but the details of the expenditures were not present in the stock register.
In another para, the PAC members noticed that medicines worth Rs 117.525 million were purchased without even inviting open tenders. The chairman was, however, satisfied with the answer from a CHK official, who said that an amount of Rs 500 million was fixed for a pharmaceutical company for the tender process.
According to the audit reports, Rs 46.071 million were misappropriated as the health department did not follow codal formalities in awarding the contract for the Tuberculosis Control Programme in Hyderabad.
An amount of Rs 19.502 million received from the outdoor patients was not deposited by different hospitals in the official account of medical superintendent.
However, the officials claimed that the money could not be deposited in the account as the pay order was made on the name of the Development Wing’s additional secretary.
Regarding wastage of government resources worth Rs 12.283 million, Unnar said the funds were utilised for purchasing machinery and equipment.
The PAC members instructed the health officials to write letters to the Sindh health minister, chief minister and governor so that action against those involved in such practices could be taken.
