MIRPURKHAS, Feb 7: The Mirpurkhas district government had failed to purchase medicines for poor patients for which Rs 22,393,900 had been released by the Sindh government, sources said,

According to sources, the government had released the money to the health department in the beginning of the current year but it was not utilized.

The district purchase committee initiated process of purchase and the EDO, health, approved quotations.

When the quotations were sent to District Nazim Pir Shafqat Hussain Shah Jilani for final approval, he conducted an investigation into the approved rates of medicines.

Finding the rates to be 60 to 70 per cent higher than the local market prices, the Nazim did not approve the rates, recommended by the purchase committee.

Consequently, for the last seven months, free medicines are not being provided in the government hospitals. Due to non-availability of free medicines, there is 50 per cent dropout rate of the OPD patients.