SUKKUR: Retired Justice Maqbool Baqar, caretaker chief minister, paid surprise visits to civil hospital, Darul Aman and a police station here on Tuesday and issued orders for suspension of the hospital’s medical superintendent and director of finance. He also ordered a forensic audit of the health facility’s accounts through Anti-Corruption Establishment to unearth corrupt practices and maladministration.

The chief minister, accompanied by his principal secretary Hassan Naqvi and health secretary Dr Mansoor Rizvi, began his visits in the morning with an unannounced tour of the Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College and Teaching Hospital commonly known as Sukkur Civil Hospital.

He went from ward to ward, visited intensive care unit, operating theatres, pharmacy, and paediatric wards, and inquired from patients about performance of the hospital.

The CM observed that neither director general health nor any other officer concerned had ever conducted inspection of the facility. In the OPD, he found male and female patients lying on beds without any partitioning sheets between their areas though the hospital had ample space available to establish separate OPDs for them.

CM sees red over conditions at health facility, police station and Darul Aman

The hospital administration failed to produce record of local purchases of medicine or even expenditures incurred on account of minor repairs and maintenance. Therefore, the chief minister ordered suspension of the director of finance and ordered an inquiry against him.

During the inspection of the kitchen, he found it in a pathetic condition as food was not being prepared regularly for patients. Besides, the kitchen had no record of regular local purchases and no utensils for cooking and serving food to patients. Hence, the chief minister suspended the services of the hospital’s MS for his overall failure to run the facility in proper manner.

The chief minister called principal of the Ghulam Mohammad Maher Medical College, who is also chairman of the governing body of the teaching hospital, and observed he had failed to perform his duty of monitoring. Therefore, the CM ordered dissolution of the body and asked for an inquiry and forensic audit of the hospital’s accounts through the ACE.

Visit to C-Section police station

The chief minister along with caretaker home minister retired Brig Haris Nawaz went to the C-Section Police station where he found everything in a shambles.

He expressed his displeasure that neither the DIG and SSP nor DSPs were inspecting police stations for which necessary inspection regime had been notified by the CM Secretariat.

He asked police to act proactively against ‘drug mafia’, and organised crime and develop public confidence in the provincial police. “I want you [the police] to keep the police stations neat and clean and properly secured,” he said.

CM unhappy with state of Darul Aman

On the last leg of his visit, the chief minister went to Darul Aman where 24 women, some of them with their children, were living. He expressed his displeasure over the shabby living conditions at the facility.

He found the beds without cushions and stinking smell in the rooms. The women complained to him about the administration’s harsh attitude.

The chief minister directed the commissioner to improve living conditions at the Darul Aman, make it livable for the women and their children and spare a room for them to watch TV. He directed the commissioner to renovate the kitchen, dining hall and washrooms and make the facility airy. Meanwhile, he directed the deputy commissioner to institute an inquiry into the Darul Aman affairs through his female assistant commissioner and submit a report to him.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2023