ISLAMABAD: An inquiry committee has found a large number of ghost employees in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) who had been nominated for Covid-19 Health Risk Allowance.

The committee also recommended disciplinary action against the Pims administration and further investigation into the disbursement of the allowance in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

The hospital has 4,200 employees but a lists of 4,700 was sent to the ministry for the allowance. Besides, 650 genuine employees of the hospital were not included in the lists.

The government had announced that the health risk allowance would be given to employees who were exposed to Covid-19 while treating patients, and therefore millions of rupees were disbursed among the employees of the federal capital’s hospitals.

Inquiry report says hospital’s total strength stands at 4,200, lists contain 4,700 names; 650 genuine employees excluded

However, employees alleged that the funds for the allowance had been misappropriated. As a result, a three-member inquiry committee, headed by Prof Nadeem Akhtar (a surgeon at Pims), was established, with Dr Aneza Jalil and Syed Wajeehul Hassan its members.

The inquiry committee was constituted “to investigate whether the employees’ lists sent to the ministry for the provision of Covid-19 allowance were genuine and identify any misappropriation in the funds,” the report said.

“Moreover, the committee was assigned the task to fix the responsibility for inclusion of names of ghost/deceased/non-entitled employees/duplication and non-inclusion of names as per policy guidelines given by the ministry. The committee held a number of meetings, reviewed available photocopies of lists and inquired the matter from a number of officers/officials of the administration and accounts department of Pims,” it said.

The report further stated that the original, duly signed lists for both financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21 were not made available to the committee, which also could not obtain the original case file with noting portion or correspondence portion despite repeated reminders to the hospital administration.

It was noticed that many support staff performing clinical duties as dressers, ward boys, etc., were omitted from the lists.

The committee stated that it could not obtain the stance of the then joint executive director/hospital director, Pims, as he could not appear before it.

“The matter of Covid Risk Allowance was not handled carefully and no committees were constituted for preparation or reconciliation of prepared lists by relevant sections. A number of procedural lacunas were identified when the whole matter was assigned to a single officer, which further worsened due to verbal directives and lack of following official rules of business of doing such communications in written format and maintaining office record of such important task.

“Neither office order was issued for such important assignment nor written guidelines/advice were issued regarding methodology to be adopted for preparation of such lists,” the report went on to say.

“The lists were prepared casually, incompletely without full name, proper identification, designation, duplication and inclusion of ghost employees, deceased employees and employees not drawing salary from Pims, employees who remained absent from duties and those residing abroad for more than a year. The basic data provided in accordance with payroll was containing wrong information and must have avoided duplication, inclusion of deceased employees and ghost employees, etc., and should have signatures/initials of higher officials from accounts section,” it stated.

The report said the office of deputy director admin-1 failed to provide record, therefore disciplinary proceedings might be carried out, adding that the committee had recommended further probe into the Covid risk allowance disbursement in 2019-20.

Talking to Dawn, Head of Grand Health Alliance Dr Asfandyar Khan said it was unfortunate that Pims had 4,200 employees but a list of 4,700 employees was sent to the ministry for disbursement of allowance to them.

Dr Khan 650 genuine employees of the hospital were missing in the list and urged the ministry to include their names as well.

“Moreover we have not received the allowance since June 30 this year, therefore we demand that the allowance be released at the earliest,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2021