PESHAWAR: Health department has conducted several inquiries into alleged illegal appointments and misappropriation of money in purchase of medicines and equipment but none of them has reached logical conclusion, according to sources.

They said that no disciplinary action was taken against the officials, who were found guilty by those inquiries. They added that none of the concerned officials was removed after completion of probes.

Sources told this scribe that the recent example was an inquiry into procurement of medicines by health department that found 16 officers including former health adviser, health secretary, director-general health services and additional director-general health services involved in corruption of Rs1.9 billion but no action was taken against them so far.

The 16-page inquiry report was compiled in a period of more than one month. The inquiry was led by special assistant to chief minister on anti-corruption. Other member of the inquiry team included additional chief secretary, secretaries of establishment and finance departments, principal secretary to chief minister and director-general drug control and pharmacy.

Those found guilty of misappropriation continue to perform duty

The inquiry report recommended that disciplinary action should be initiated under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Service Rules 2011 against the officials for commission of offences of criminal negligence and misuse of authority, causing losses to national exchequer.

It recommended that the case should be sent to anti-corruption establishment or any other investigative authority for launching criminal proceedings and making recovery of criminal proceeds from beneficiaries of the scam.

Sources said that the inquiry was completed in November and sent to Chief Minister Secretariat to act upon its recommendations but so far no action was taken and the officials continued to perform their duty as usual as if nothing was happened.

“This is a big scandal as a former health adviser Prof Abid Jamil resigned but didn’t bow to the pressure of caretaker government to abet corruption in purchase of Rs5 billion medicines. After he called it a day, the caretaker government appointed another former professor of Lady Reading Hospital to facilitate the purchase. It is almost 50 per cent corruption,” they said.

They said that there were more inquiries against district health officers for making illegal appointments in Waziristan and other areas but no action was taken against them despite passing of more than one year.

Sources said that inquiries regarding illegal appointments in Mardan Medical Complex and probe into misappropriation of money in purchase of anti-cancer drugs in Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar were the latest stances wherein the department was yet to swing into action.

They said that such attitude on the part of government was emboldening the under-inquiry officers as they did not see any fear for wrongdoings. “Such scenarios happening in the department now and then are sending messages among the honest officers to stay quiet instead of blowing whistles on those making money,” they said.

Health department has been ordering probes into small matters. Some of the inquiries are not initiated despite the timeframe of one to two week given to the appointed panels. It shows lack of seriousness. Some of the inquiries have already been completed and recommendations are being sent to Chief Minister Secretariat and back to health department or to chief secretary office. Such inquiries are ultimately pushed under the carpet and the perpetrators of corruption go scot-free.

“In some cases, officers have been charge-sheeted but they continue to work in their places,” they said.

Sources said that inquiry officers went through a lot of trouble and pressure but completed the reports by going through volumes of records. “However, the result remains next to zero. Most of the officers don’t take interest in conducting such probes but they do it when asked by seniors,” they said.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2024