MANSEHRA: Two members of Health Management Committee (HMC) of King Abdullah Teaching Hospital (KATH) have refused to endorse the committee’s decisions, alleging large-scale financial and administrative irregularities at the health facility.

“We have refused to sign the approvals of decisions taken by HMC because the KATH management did not provide us with previous documents related to contracts and purchases, apparently to conceal financial and contractual irregularities in the hospital,” Khalid Khan, a member of the hospital’s Health Management Committee, told reporters.

He said that he and another committee member, Mukhtar Ali Awan, had repeatedly raised their voices against alleged corruption and irregularities. “Would you believe that under the Sehat Sahulat Programme (SSP) medicines of multinational companies are prescribed, but patients are provided with products of local companies as an injection of worth Rs460 is replaced with one costing Rs65, resulting in the alleged embezzlement of millions of rupees every month,” Mr Khan claimed.

He alleged that, in violation of the health policy, hundreds of lower-grade contractual employees had been appointed on a monthly salary of Rs40,000, but many of them were performing duties as medical technicians and in other technical categories in breach of government policy, allegedly putting patients’ lives at risk.

“More than a dozen employees hired through HMC funds, despite financial constraints, are performing duties in the SSP section of a private insurance company to protect these irregularities,” Mr Khan alleged.

He further claimed that although the committee had approved a parking fee of Rs30 per vehicle, the contractor, allegedly in collusion with a corrupt group, was charging Rs50 per vehicle.

“A private medical college affiliated with KATH pays annual funds under the KP government’s policy, but this substantial amount is allegedly embezzled each year through a share system operated by corrupt elements within the hospital,” he alleged.

Mr Khan claimed that financial and administrative irregularities had resulted in delayed payments to contractors supplying stationery, laboratory chemicals and other essential items, with outstanding dues running into millions of rupees.

“The mafia deliberately declared a functional X-ray machine out of order to embezzle Rs5 million under the pretext of maintenance, depriving patients of a vital diagnostic service,” he alleged.

The committee member called for an inquiry by the chief minister’s recently constituted anti-corruption committee to investigate the alleged embezzlement of millions of rupees and the appointment of lower-grade employees to key positions through favouritism, allegedly to conceal irregularities.

When contacted, Aziz Bhatti, spokesperson for King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, said that the medical superintendent had only recently been posted to the hospital and was making every effort to address administrative issues and allegations of financial misconduct.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2026