PESHAWAR: Another financial irregularities scandal has come to light in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs 1.3 billion embezzlement reported in the purchase of medicines for the province’s hospitals, while show cause notices were issued to 24 Medical Superintendents.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has issued show cause notices to the Medical Superintendents (MSs) of 24 government hospitals in the province due to significant financial irregularities in the procurement of medicines.
Documents reveal that approximately Rs 1.3 billion in alleged irregularities have been identified in the purchase of medicines. Financial protocols were overlooked, and medicines were acquired in violation of established procedures. Furthermore, several payments were made without obtaining the necessary drug testing clearances.
Sources within the health department indicate that some hospitals exceeded their allocated budgets. Evidence has also surfaced showing that medicines were procured at inflated prices and that the procurement processes were not transparent at the local level. Additionally, the requirement to spend 80 per cent of the budget following a specific procedure was not fulfilled.
Some hospitals used funds from the current budget to pay last year’s arrears, resulting in the premature exhaustion of the medicine budget for many hospitals, which caused difficulties for patients. The health department has warned of strict action against these irregularities and has requested explanations from the involved officials.
