Rs 66 million worth of machinery, medicines, and surgical equipment is purchased without following the declared procedure and fulfilling legal requirements in the Health Department Punjab.
According to information shared by the Public Accounts Committee, in 2020-21, during the tenure of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, a huge amount of life-saving drugs, medicines related to blood pressure and diabetes control, blood thinner medicines, antibiotics, glucose, and instruments for heart and kidney surgery were purchased without the required tenders.
Moreover, no declared rules were followed during the purchasing of medicines and surgical instruments for all government hospitals in the whole of Punjab. In two years (2020-21), extensive local purchases were recorded, and the District Health Authority Muzaffargarh is on the top in alleged purchases as Rs 66.541 million were spent on medicines, stationery, printing material, and general store items without following legal procedure.
According to findings, MS THQ tehsil Kot Adu, district Muzaffargarh, and tehsil Jatoi too are alleged to be involved in financial irregularities. Despite the advice of the Audit Department, the District Accounts Committee meeting was not called on. The Audit Department has handed over the embezzlement case to the Public Account Committee, which has started investigating.