- Sources say contractors had stopped drugs supply after Sindh AG did not clear their bills
The shortage of medicines has further deepened in government hospitals in Sindh due to non-clearance of contractors and suppliers bill, putting thousands of lives at stake.
The last year stock of medicines has already ended in hospitals but authorities do not feel their due responsibility to do the needful in this regard.
Reliable sources in Sindh Health Department said there was acute shortage of medicines in Civil Hospital Karachi, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Sindh Government Liaquatabad Hospital, Korangi, New Karachi, Saudabad, Ibrahim Haidery Hospital and Lyari General Hospital due to non-supply of medicines.
“Account General Sindh had not cleared bills of contractors amounting of millions of rupees and contractors had stopped the supply, they explained.”
Sources said Sindh Finance Department could not transfer money to Sindh AG yet. Sindh Health Department had written a letter to Sindh AG but the bills of contractors and suppliers could not be cleared yet as a result, dozens of routine operations and provision of medicines had been stopped to patients in these public healthcares.
An administrative official CHK confirmed that there was acute shortage of life-saving medicines in hospitals since last six months, leaving no option for patients but to buy medicine from private medical stores.
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Mirza Ali Azhar said “incompetent” Health Department officials could not devise any plan and policy to overcome medicines shortage in public healthcares despite the passage of several months.
CHK MS Prof Muhammad Saeed Qureshi was not available for comment.
