Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Saturday has strongly condemned the negligence on part of the officials for not using the machinery imported for upgrading of District Headquarters Hospital, Dera Ghazi Khan. He was presiding over a high level meeting through video link in which Chief Minister’s Inspection Team chairman presented its investigation report about the up-gradation project of the hospital.
Declaring the act tantamount to cruelty against the people, he said that the machinery closed in cartons worth million of rupees is criminal negligence. He warned of stern action against those responsible for keeping machinery closed in cartons for two years.
“Why officials of the Health Department did not take action on deviation and violation of PC-I of the project?” he questioned.
He said that non-implementation of third-party audit policy regarding the project is also lamentable. He said that there is no justification for not using the machinery worth 700 million rupees for providing medical facilities to the people.
“Those who did this will be held accountable and such officers and officials have no right to remain on their posts,” the chief minister said. He directed to constitute a high- powered committee for completely reviewing all matters and said that on the recommendations of the committee, those responsible of wasting resources of the poor nation will be held accountable. He reprimanded officers concerned for not taking immediate action on the matter and expressed his indignation.
He said that setting affairs of government hospitals right is the responsibility of the Health Department. He directed the chief secretary to submit a report about the non-functional machinery in the hospitals within two weeks.
