ISLAMABAD, March 27: The Prime Minister's Secretariat has asked the ministry of health to reply to allegations of misappropriation at the National Institute of Health (NIH) by March 31.

A March 24 reminder to the ministry said the PM Secretariat was still awaiting its reply, which was due on March 20. The reminder directed the ministry to furnish its report to the Secretariat by March 31.

Earlier, the ministry had been asked to give para-wise comments till February 20 on allegations levelled against the senior management of the NIH.

The directive was issued on a complaint lodged with the PM Secretariat alleging that top management of the institute was involved in misappropriation and malpractices which had created an atmosphere of mistrust and resentment among its employees.

The measures taken by the management, the complaint said, had also created an atmosphere of mistrust among the employees besides no significant progress or development had been made in the institute for the last four years.

When contacted, Executive Director NIH Dr Athar Saeed Dil told Dawn that the institute had already submitted a reply to the health ministry and said the present management was trying its level best to run the institute in a professional and efficient manner.

He brushed aside the impression that no progress was made during the last four years after he assumed the office. He said some elements for their vested interests were trying to defame the institute.

The allegations levelled against the NIH management included irregular appointments, allotment of quarters/bungalows to officers on an out-of-turn basis without adhering to rules and regulation and ignoring the deserving persons.

Similarly, the management has also been accused of wasting millions of rupees allocated for the institute under the public sector development programme (PSDP) to construct stable for horses in which substandard material was used.

Huge funds were also spent in the name of repair/maintenance of roads inside the NIH without following procedures due to which costly but substandard machinery/equipment worth millions of rupees were purchased. Used machinery were also purchased for the purpose, the complaint added.

Moreover, a huge amount earmarked for the biological production activities was spent on the construction of a boundary wall and installation of canopy on the main administration block.

It was also stated the NIH had not produced any remarkable number of life-saving vaccines and sera for the last four years.

Due to nepotism and ineffective management, a number of political groups have been developed in the NIH due to which the institute is losing its credibility as honest, devoted employees, scientists and technicians are leaving the institute, it added.

The complainant also requested the government to take appropriate measures so that credibility and fame of the institution is revived.