MIRPURKHAS, Jan 2: A large number of poor patients have not been provided medicines at the Civil Hospital, Mirpurkhas, and other government hospitals in the district during the last six months because medicines have not been purchased by the health department.

Reliable sources told this correspondent that the purchase of medicines had remained a disputed matter during the last six months between the district Nazim and the previous district coordination officer as a result of which poor patients were deprived of medicines at government hospitals.

However, medicines are being provided to the patients from the Zakat funds, which are insufficient.

It was learnt that the Sindh government had allocated Rs16.07 million for purchasing medicines.

The DCO, Mohsin Qureshi, after consulting the former EDO, health, Fazal Illahi Memon, constituted a purchase committee, bypassing the committee set up by the district Nazim.

The committee invited and later approved tenders, which were reportedly 60 to 70 per cent higher against the market rates.

The district Nazim, Pir Shafqat Hussain Shah Jilani, did not approve the quotations.

On the instructions of the district Nazim, a meeting reviewed the situation, discussed the quotation rates of suppliers, and decided that the department will not buy medicines on high rates. However, the meeting remained inconclusive as no decision was taken regarding it.