PESHAWAR: The accounts officer of public sector Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital Peshawar has been transferred after he accused the medical superintendent of misappropriation of hospital’s Rs40 million funds, according to documents.

However, the medical superintendent said that the official was creating hurdles to operation of the hospital and he requested the director-general health services to never appoint him again at the same hospital.

Mohammadullah, accounts officer in BPS-17 of Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital (NKBMH), wrote a letter to Dr Fakhruddin, the medical superintendent of the same hospital, on October 28 and asked him to deposit Rs39.90 million in the government’s kitty otherwise he would approach higher authorities for recovery of the ‘embezzled’ sum he had siphoned off.

The letter titled “Illegal withdrawal of specialists’ share in lieu of Sehat Card Plus, hospital management committee and trainee candidates’ fee” sated that the medical superintendent had withdrawn illegally the amount during his three and half years tenure. It said that the MS was requested to deposit the same.

Hospital head accuses accounts officer of running parallel administration

The officer alleged that those irregularities had also been pointed out by audit teams during inspection of record of 2023-24 but the MS gave Rs2.5 million as bribe to auditors to bury the issue.

He said that the MS illegally changed the hospital management committee (HMC) and stuffed it with relatives and home servants without fulfilment of codal formalities as per rules. He also alleged that he had brought into his notice that a junior clerk had passed fake arrear bills to the tune of Rs10 million but instead of launching disciplinary proceedings against him, he was awarded the opportunity to do everything and bypass the accounts officer.

He said that recently, a nephew of the same clerk was appointed as ward orderly at the hospital despite ban on recruitments imposed by the government.

He said that other major irregularities were also committed by the MS which he would reveal during a high level inquiry.

Responding to the allegations, the MS in a letter surrendered the services of Mohammadullah to Director-General Health Services Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on administrative grounds for further posting anywhere in the province with the request that he should never be posted to Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital Peshawar in future, in the best interest of public.

“Mohammadullah is making hindrance and interference in the smooth functions of hospital affairs,” he said.

The MS alleged that the accounts officer was interfering in hospital administration, especially in radiology department and elaborated that he concealed a written complaint of sexual harassment of a female staffer against Mohammad Khan of radiology section. “Then the employee came to my office and admitted that she submitted a written complaint in the presence of senior administrative officers,” he added.

He alleged that the attitude of the officer with all the employees including doctors, pharmacist, nurses, paramedics and other staff was unethical as he had set up a parallel administration in the hospital, which was tantamount to misconduct and disobedience under the prevailing rules.

The copy of the letter has also been sent to local MPA, secretary and director general health and other concerned officials whereas manager of the bank have been requested not to entertain the signature of Muhammadullah. The accounts section has been instructed to stop his pay immediately.

The MS didn’t respond to message sent by this scribe to seek his version.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2024