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Irregularities in BHUs, district hospital THOUGH District Nazim Malik Amjad Ali Noon had claimed that over Rs60 million were earmarked for the purchase of medicines in Sargodha district, he soon realized that it was not an easy task to ensure availability of drugs to the people from the government-run hospital. He made a surprise visit to the Basic Health Unit, Chak 10-SB, and was astonished to find that the doctor posted there was not visiting the hospital and that his job was being done by the dispenser. During checking, it was found that in the purchase of medicines and stationery an embezzlement of millions was committed in Basic Health Units and Rural Health Centres of Bhalwal tehsil. He regretted that under the head of local purchase, the allocated amount of Rs100,000 had been embezzled against fake bills. He said 100 containers of phenyl solution were purchased, but the substance was substandard and high price was paid. He said some 179 metres of cloth was shown in the papers, but actually there was no such cloth found at the centre. The district Nazim also visited the Phularwan Rural Health Centre where he found that under the head of stationery and medicines, a huge amount had been embezzled. He said 100 pin cushions were purchased against the need of only four to five cushions. He blacklisted some suppliers due to their involvement in embezzlement. It is learnt that the BHU and RHC staff told the Nazim that they had shown this malpractice on the directions of the Health Department highups who had provided less funds and ordered to submit bills of higher amount. The Nazim set up a committee to probe the allegations. In the District Headquarters Hospital also a corrupt mafia is extorting money. Hospital employees are earning a huge amount by getting contracts for their personal medicine company having no physical existence, and some are allegedly extorting money in issuance of medico-legal certificates and local purchase for retired government employees. It is alleged that Rs4.5 million have been spent on the renovation and whitewash, but neither has the renovation been done nor has the whitewash contract been completed. The contractor has reportedly received the entire bill in advance and left the work incomplete. Another group is allegedly extorting money with the connivance of specialists for making fake bills of retired government employees. Those allegedly involved in this ugly trade are a clerk, an employee of ex-commissioner’s office and an employee of the Tehsil Municipal Authority. They allegedly make fake vouchers of local purchase. Besides this, the staff of the emergency ward is earning a handsome amount from the injured for issuance of medico-legal certificates. They motivate the patients to go to a private hospital from where they get 20 to 30 per cent of the bill recovered from the referred patient. There is a group who reportedly received thousands of rupees daily from the people wanting to get the desired results from the post-mortem. A hospital employee said if an impartial inquiry was conducted, several people would be traced and recovery made from those who had plundered wealth by exploiting and misusing their authority. He said the CT scan machine was installed in August last year, but it had been lying out of order for the last seven months. He said for CT scan, the charges were very nominal as compared to private hospitals. Similarly, he said, dental units were also lying out of order. When asked to comment on the first kidney transplant made at a private hospital, he said it was a big achievement, but benefit will be availed by the private hospital management. He said in surgical unit-I, 20 operations were being conducted daily, but the surgical instruments were not properly sterilized as, according to him, it was impossible to sterilize them quickly. His version was supported by the hospital’s pathologist and anaesthetist, though MS Mohammed Siddique Kokhar denied the charges of corruption altogether. This correspondent visited the hospital where every patient was critical of the specialists and overcharging by the clerical staff. Aslam said not only the doctors but the nurses and paramedical staff were also looting the poor patients. He said some staff members had a share in the cycle stand contract and they were charging Rs5 for cycle and a motorbike and Rs10 to 15 for a car. He said the people had to pay parking fee on each visit, besides greasing the palm of the gate-keeper and ward boys. Performance of the social welfare unit in the hospital was also not encouraging. The poor and destitute derive scant benefit out of it, while the influential are making use of the funds earmarked for the needy. Scores of patients of Chokera who fell victim to appendicitis were also critical of the behaviour of doctors and the DHQ Hospital staff. They said they were forced to go to private hospitals. Parliamentary secretary Khalid Kalayar also levelled some allegations of corruption, negligence and maltreatment against the DHQ staff. EDO (health) Malik Mazhar Rasheed defended his colleagues at the DHQ, BHUs and RHCs, but said he took serious note of the alleged embezzlement and irregularities pointed out by the Nazim. He expressed his inability to conduct a minute scrutiny of funds utilization because under the changed system, every health unit and hospital was free and autonomous in making purchase. Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
