Daily Times

Karachi: The FIA has launched fresh probe against drug mafia which is minting millions of rupees through supply of spurious and sub standard medicines to government run hospitals in Karachi.

The agency was working on an off-shoot enquiry from a case registered four months ago with the FIA Corporate Crime Circle Karachi against 5 officials of Pakistan Steel Mills PSM hospital Karachi for their alleged involvement in purchasing medicines for the hospital from a “blue eyed” contractor against huge kick-backs.

The agency probing the PSM hospital case found that substandard and near expiry medicines were being supplied to the government hospitals for years. The tycoons of the medicines business with active convenes of hospitals officials who were receiving illegal profit in millions

it is pertinent to mention that thousands of poor citizens who visit government hospitals every day for treatment since they can not afford the expenses of private hospitals, but instead of getting medical attention they are being deprived off getting proper medication in spite of that the government is spending huge amount of funds in this regard every year.

According to the documents available with Daily times, it has been learnt that during the investigation of the case number 16/2016 it was established that sub- standard, spurious and short expiry medicines were being supplied to the hospitals through contractor company namely m/s Reliable Hospital Supplies.

In this connection a latter has been dispatched to the director general FIA Islamabad head quarters by the zonal officials of FIA Karachi in which it is clearly stated that a sub-inspector of FIA crime and anti-corruption circle Zahoor Bachkani has established that the owner of m/s Reliable Hospital Supplies has been over charging in billings of the medicines being supplied to the Pakistan steel mills hospital and has also established that he has been supplying sub-standard and spurious meekness, it was also confirmed by the investigation officer from the invoices and bills of m/s reliable hospital supplies ; because when IO confirmed about the medication from the manufacturer he was told that supplied medicines have not been made by his company with the said batch numbers.

A member of the investigation team told Daily Times that when he broadened the investigation is has established that there is a mafia active in medicines market Karachi which are comprised of medicine dealers, distributors and government officials who are making illegal profits and manage to built contracts and buy huge stock of short expiry medicines on 20 to 25 percent of the rate and then supply it on full rate to the Government hospitals.

The Director FIA CBC Circle Karachi Altaf Hussain has assigned to conduct further probe in this regard additional directed by the high-ups of federal investigation agency.